How to Qualify, Assess and Develop Suppliers for Scope 3 Decarbonization

To truly achieve corporate climate targets, companies must activate and engage their suppliers, who can account for up to 90% of emissions (Scope 3). The first step is to clearly define the supplier structure and to pre-qualify suppliers for decarbonization on the basis of climate-relevant data. Suppliers must then be assessed and their climate strategy developed and supported accordingly. What is the best way to make this happen?

That’s what we learned at the CHOICE Event #54 from Maximilian Droste from amc Group and Yasha Tarani from The Climate Choice. Here you will find the most important insights from their joint presentation.

Why focus on Scope 3 Decarbonization?

More and more global enterprises are facing various risks and pressure from stakeholders to meet their climate targets today. The de facto standard, the Science Based Targets initiative, requires companies for which emissions from their supply chain (Scope 3) account for more than 40% of their total climate impact to set specific Scope 3 targets. Since Scope 3 emissions are on average 11.4 times higher than direct emissions, this applies to almost every company.

To start measuring and reducing these Scope 3 emissions, companies need to receive product related information from their suppliers. These include product carbon footprint information or lifecycle assessment data in order to compare products and services with each other. The big issue is that most of the suppliers are not ready yet to provide this information.

Without climate relevant data from their suppliers, companies cannot fully understand their climate risks and what measures they need to implement in order to achieve their climate targets. This is where the big challenge for decarbonizing the supply chain lies.

Calculating Emissions from Purchased Goods & Services

So how does calculating emissions from your suppliers actually work? An overview from the Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol shows that there are different data types used for different calculation methods. Most companies find themselves today still at the bottom with the main use of average data. However, the goal is to arrive at the supplier-specific method and collect as much supplier-specific data as possible. Only then can companies make truly informed buying decisions for decarbonization.

A new study by the Science Based Targets initiative shows that only 6% of companies with science-based climate targets are currently working with specific data from suppliers. This is due to various challenges when approaching their supplier base for climate data. In summary, these are:

• Various levels of understanding
• Lack of access to accurate CO2 data
• Lack of climate management knowledge & capacity
• Lack of collaborative tools & best practices
• Lack of comparables & benchmarks
• Different business sizes & a wide geographic distribution

Process is key for supply chain decarbonization 

In order to overcome all of these challenges, companies must first and foremost ensure that sustainability and compliance are not only written down in declarations and codes of conduct, but that they are anchored in procurement and supply chain processes. Let’s have a look at how such a process can be structured. The process map shown as an example below has three different levels. At the top are strategic processes such as category management and long-term strategic development. They build the guardrails of action for an organization. Once the standards for strategic processes are set, it becomes easier at the tactical and the operational level to actually deploy them. 

The most crucial process for decarbonization within the strategic level is the supplier relationship management. This is what we will now take a closer look at.

Supplier Management practices guide the process

The supplier management process has the intent of building long-term relationships and ensuring supplier quality based on objective assessments. Companies achieve this by first analyzing their supplier pool and defining relevant suppliers for further supplier management steps. They then evaluate the relevant suppliers by their performance in the past as well as their future potential. Lastly, a strategy of developing the suppliers based on their assessment results has to be defined and implemented.

Let’s go into more detail and look at the exact steps for the specific purpose of working with suppliers on climate targets.

1. Gain understanding of supplier structure.

Supply chains are complex structures that can often consist of multiple thousands of vendors. That’s why the first step is to create transparency and understand who is part of the supply chain. This requires accurate supplier screening in, as exemplified by the Climate Intelligence Platform. Different levels are needed in order to clearly define what the results of the screening mean.

2. (Pre-) Qualify suppliers for decarbonization based on climate maturity.

Once companies have established this visibility, they must define criteria to be part of the supplier structure. For example, this could mean that suppliers should be able to provide corporate as well as product carbon footprint information and have already set their own climate targets. The standardized qualification is the basis for increasing the quality of the supplier pool incl. approval process (barrier to entry).

3. Evaluate suppliers with performance scoring.

When evaluating the suppliers, it is important to gain insight into their holistic climate transformation. After all, individual findings such as CO2 data or top-down analyses of financial flows are far from sufficient here. The Climate Intelligence Platform therefore conducts an assessment in five dimensions: Governance, Strategy, Transparency, Metrics & Targets, and Decarbonization Measures.

4. Classification of suppliers to derive decarbonization strategy.

As a result of the evaluation, companies can now classify their suppliers into high performers and low performers. An overview of supplier ratings and score distribution, as shown in the Climate Intelligence Platform, helps to develop a strategy on how to increase their performance over time. Through the classification, every supplier receives the individual support that they actually need.

5. Derive strategy & development plan for supplier base.

Following the previous steps, the ultimate goal is to translate the established criteria and strategy into a concrete implementation plan. An example from the Scandinavian telecommunications group Telia shows what this can look like.

Automated data collection & collaboration with suppliers

As already shown in the examples, the Climate Intelligence Platform provides a way to efficiently automate the various steps of the supplier relationship management process for Scope 3 decarbonization. Companies receive everything they need to set up, test, manage and achieve your supplier climate engagement targets – from data acquisition to tracking and engagement. Via the platform they can access and acquire a wide range of audit-ready company risk as well as emission data and support their suppliers in their decarbonization journey.

Start with a free basic account for the Climate Intelligence Platform

You can now start your own supplier management process by registering for free on the Climate Intelligence Platform. Within the free basic account you can invite an unlimited number of your suppliers in a quick and automated way to become part of your transformation journey and work together with you on climate actions.

Here you can register within 5 minutes and try out the platform without obligation.

How Coca Cola Engages Suppliers for Science Based Targets

The Science Based Targets (SBTs) initiative helps companies set climate targets that are consistent with the latest climate science. A particular focus of SBTs is on supplier engagement, as 90% or more of companies’ emissions occur in their supply chains. Corporations have to work closely with their suppliers to set and achieve their SBTs. How does a major global company still on the path of climate transformation, like Coca Cola, deal with this challenge?

That’s what we learned at the CHOICE Event #53 from Cornelia Folz, Vice President Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability (PACS) at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany. Here you will find the most important insights from her presentation.

What are the Science Based Targets?

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) was founded in 2015 in the year of the Paris Climate Agreement by four NGOs – CDP, WWF, UN Global Compact and World Resources Institute. The initiative is considered a leader in both guiding science-based climate target setting and validating it. It defines and promotes best practice in emissions reduction and net-zero targets in line with climate science. Teams of experts provide companies with independent assessment and validation of targets.

The change has already begun and action is gaining pace. Over 2,000 organizations worldwide are leading the transition to a net-zero economy by setting reduction targets grounded in climate science.

Coca Cola’s commitment to Science Based Targets

Together with the Science Based Targets initiative, Coca Cola Europacific Partners has set an ambition to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. Over the last decade, the company has already reduced GHG emissions across its entire value chain by 30.5%. Coca Cola now concentrates on reducing its value chain emissions even further, with a focus on scope 3 emissions where the biggest impacts occur. In all of this, Coca Cola is committed to an approach that prioritizes reducing greenhouse gas emissions wherever possible.

Key focus: mobilizing suppliers on climate change

In order to reach this target, Coca Cola puts a key focus on mobilizing its suppliers on climate change. Over 90% of the organizations GHG emissions are scope 3 emissions. Those scope 3 emissions include raw ingredients (25%), packaging (43%), operations and commercial sites (7%), transport (9%) as well as cold drinks equipment (16%). 

So to really achieve the net zero ambition, Coca Cola has to work closer with its suppliers and support them in their decarbonization journey. To do so, the company has decided to start very easy with three clear and direct questions they are asking their suppliers:  

1. Can you set your own SBTi-validated GHG emissions reduction targets by 2023?
2. Can you commit to using 100% renewable electricity across your operations by 2023?
3. Please share your carbon footprint data with us.

Supplier Carbon Reduction Program

These three questions form the basis for activation and close cooperation with suppliers. Once the ambitions, plans as well as the existing know-how regarding the setting of science-based targets, the transition to 100% renewable energy and the sharing of carbon data from suppliers are clear and known, the real work can begin. From this, Coca Cola has launched a program to motivate and support suppliers with knowledge and resources.

Together with the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the Science Based Targets initiative, Coca Cola has created specific training programs for their suppliers. Suppliers that are just starting their climate transformation can join these programs, receive guidance, and learn how and with what best practices to set science-based targets. They also learn about different emission factors and approaches to identify carbon hotspots, start reduction measures and track real progress.

Practical example: The Transport Tender

So how does this all impact the day to day work? Let’s have a look at the example of the transport tender that Coca Cola is sending to out logistics companies. It includes a clear message to suppliers that sustainability is one of the 3 key objectives of the tender. Via a bidsheet, suppliers can then offer prices for green solutions (rail, waterways, gas, biofuels, electric). This allows Coca Cola to transparently learn about and compare the extra costs of decarbonization measures with actual GHG savings. 

On this basis, Coca Cola can discuss together with the suppliers on possible short and mid-term solutions. The decision making process is supported by formal calculations to weight tCO2e reduction vs oncost. Here, different alternative scenarios are created, which include the highest tCO2e reduction scenario, the cheapest scenario, and so on. 

Conclusion: From easy to complex

The Transport Tender example shows how a simple question at the beginning evolves into more specific details and an ever finer process of collaboration and shared decision making as it progresses. This is exactly how every company should approach the process of decarbonizing its own supply chain. Because one thing is clear: the task is big and complex and can seem overwhelming at first. However, we are all still at the beginning of climate transformation and need to learn together step by step.

Start with a free basic account for the Climate Intelligence Platform

So it’s a matter of approaching suppliers with simple questions and thus taking the first step. You too can easily implement exactly this simple start today. Register for free on the Climate Intelligence Platform to assess your climate maturity and engage suppliers to do the same. Within the free basic account you can invite an unlimited number of your suppliers in a quick and automated way to become part of your transformation journey and work together with you on climate actions.

Here you can register within 5 minutes and try out the platform without obligation.

How to generate Value from Supplier Climate Data

New reporting requirements and stakeholder expectations are driving large companies to collect climate-related information from their suppliers. Once they have overcome the first hurdle of collecting data along complex supply chains, they immediately face the next challenge. What do I do with all this supplier climate data now? How can I generate value for my company from it? How can it help me to achieve my sustainability targets?

This is what we learned at the CHOICE Event #52 from Neele Franke and Hugo Ernest-Jones from IBM Consulting. Here you will find the most important insights from their presentation.

Companies struggle with operationalizing climate strategies

When it comes to sustainability and climate efforts by large companies, it is striking that today many of them are already publicly committing to climate targets and developing strategies for their implementation. While most have ambitious plans, however, many are still struggling to operationalize them. A recent survey among over 2,000 CEOs worldwide revealed that 86% of companies have a sustainability strategy, but only 35% have acted on that strategy (Source: IBM Institute for Business Value (2022): Sustainability as a transformation catalyst).

So while the “What” seems to be rather clear, the “How” of getting it actually done remains a big challenge. Added to this is the increasing pressure and complexity of regulations and frameworks for corporate sustainability and climate disclosure. Regulators are mandating minimum levels of reporting – putting the responsibility onto corporations. They, in turn, have to find their way through the jungle of new standards and initiatives defining the most important climate data in companies. Since up to 90% of a company’s emissions originates from the supply chain, they must also manage to collect this data from their suppliers.

The evolution of a sustainable enterprise

For companies that start collecting supplier climate data, it is important to understand that next to compliance and reporting purposes, they can also generate huge amounts of value from their data collection. If done right, it can help the company to operate more effectively, more profitably, with reduced costs and in a more innovative way to develop new products and services. 

Based on this insight, companies can be classified in a maturity curve for their sustainable evolution in three stages.

Stage 1 – Sustainability Compliance

Focus mainly on license to operate and meeting regulatory or compliance requirements. Digital maturity is low, processes and systems are siloed, and data collection and aggregation is a manual process.

Stage 2 – Sustainability Optimization

Sustainability initiatives exist for Social, Environmental & Governance, across operations and support functions. Acceleration of digitization and automation of sustainability data collection and reporting.

Stage 3 – Sustainability Transformation

Sustainability is embedded as a core value and mission statement across all company departments and functions. Technology is focused on differentiation, advanced analytics and futuristic, with the objective of leveraging sustainability as a competitive advantage.

Key steps in operationalizing supplier climate data

How can companies leverage their supplier climate data to move from mere sustainability compliance to real sustainable transformation? The following key steps can serve as a guide to successfully operationalize the data collected in order to drive action.

1. Data Collection

There are two different options when collecting climate data from suppliers. Real supplier “primary” product level data is the preferred where available, though availability is limited. “Secondary” averages data on the other hand are readily available, but of limited quality. Clients should therefore collect and integrate primary data for selected high impact/strategic suppliers (at least scopes 1 and 2) where possible and use secondary data sources to model remaining emissions.

2. + 3. Data Integration and Engine

While many companies still collect and integrate their data manually in Excel spreadsheets, the goal should be to automate this process as much as possible. Specialized software solutions are already available for this purpose, such as the Climate Intelligence Platform. This has the advantage that time-consuming processes can be carried out efficiently and cost-effectively, and the data is also auditable.

4. Visualization and reporting

Once companies have collected and integrated the supplier climate data, they should visualize the results next in order to draw out insights to inform reporting and strategy. Smart visualization with specialized tools also supports the management of data availability and quality.

5. Simulation and strategy

In order to use the data not only for insight into the past, but also for future planning, the next step is strategy work. Companies can now leverage the supplier climate data to help guide decision making around reducing emissions along the supply chain. This is where modeling and simulation comes in and links with the next and last step: supplier engagement.

6. Supplier Engagement

Collaborating with and engaging suppliers is the core and end goal of every effort to decarbonize the supply chain. It is important to note that successful supplier engagement must occur at three levels.

Process & Governance – Companies should design a strategy and operational model aligned to supplier benefits and user outcomes that are fair, democratic, transparent and evolving.

Business Value – In order to secure participation, companies must design a business model that includes appropriate incentives to stimulate collaboration and network effects.

Technology – Technical solutions with winning human experiences help to drive mass adoption of new digital products and services with privacy, trust and security.

Start with a free basic account for the Climate Intelligence Platform

The best approach to finding the entry point to collecting and leveraging supplier climate data is to “start small and think big”. The Climate Intelligence Platform offers a perfect small start for companies looking to engage their suppliers for climate action. The free basic account offers access to over 10,000 climate supplier profiles and the possibility to analyze the basic climate maturity of an unlimited number of suppliers in an automated way.

Here you can register within 5 minutes and try out the platform without obligation.

“Together we can. Together we will” – Interview with Anna Rathmann from the Jane Goodall Institute

Everything is connected – everyone can make a difference. Under this motto, the Jane Goodall Institute fights worldwide to conserve the natural world we all share. We are excited that Anna Rathmann, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute, will be a keynote speaker at the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit 2023, sharing her vision and insights with the CLIMATE community.

For the Climate Magazine, she has already taken the time to answer our most pressing questions to her. The interview is about the three big global crises – climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental inequity –, how they intertwine and how the institute is partnering with companies to tackle them.

Hello Anna, thank you for taking the time for our interview. Let’s start by briefly introducing yourself to our readers and explaining to them what the Jane Goodall Institute stands for at its core.

First off, thank you for the opportunity to share a little bit about the Jane Goodall Institute’s nearly 50 years of conservation. My name is Anna Rathmann, I am the executive director of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) USA in Washington, D.C. I have spent my career working in conservation and, like many others, have a profound respect for the holistic philosophies and approach of Dr. Jane Goodall.  The Jane Goodall Institute’s mission evolved as Jane evolved as a scientist and activist.

The foundation of JGI was built on the groundbreaking research Jane began over 60 years ago in Gombe National Park in western Tanzania on chimpanzees and their ecosystem. While this ongoing research continues to be at the core of our work today, we combine this decades long commitment to science with community-led conservation, innovative advocacy around animal welfare and environmental issues, best-in-class rehabilitation and sanctuary care for a variety of wildlife exposed to trafficking, One Health initiatives, forest protection and restoration, applied conservation technology, and our global youth program: Roots & Shoots. 

Jane often refers to our planet as a “tapestry of life”. This philosophy, of “when nature thrives, we all thrive,” has guided the work of her namesake Institute to view complex issues like biodiversity and habitat loss, human inequity, and apathy – as interconnected. In response, JGI’s solutions are interconnected. We see threats as opportunities to bring people together across industry, sector, and identity to pursue science-based solutions that integrate the needs of people, other animals, and the environment in their communities. Together we are adding to the “tapestry of life” and building a “tapestry of hope” towards positive change worldwide. 

In your recently announced new strategy, you are stressing the fact that our society is now facing 3 global crises: climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental inequity. How do these crises affect and magnify each other, and what is your approach to help address them all?

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental inequity are deeply intertwined. Human inequities have largely driven the over consumption of natural resources and environmental degradation. Global consumer industries both perpetuate inequities and overwhelmingly drive this damage. In turn these processes are the main drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, habitat loss, pollution, and harmful transformations that are causing the Sixth Great Extinction. We are each part of the grand tapestry of life and as species go extinct, the whole tapestry begins to fall apart. 

We also know that as ecosystems lose their ability to absorb greenhouse gases, like global forests and oceans, all these factors of damage and threat increase. This cycle then deepens human inequities, disproportionately affecting low-income communities worldwide, leading to a cycle of habitat loss, destruction, and suffering.  

This is why Jane and JGI have never seen threats as standalone problems. Every threat is integrated and requires integrated solutions – and everyone plays a role in these solutions.  That is why people are at the center of the Jane Goodall Institute’s approach to conservation. We want to create involvement at every level for true community ownership of conservation and environmentalism. Local and indigenous people are the stewards of the majority of the world’s biodiversity, so JGI wants to ensure local communities and indigenous groups are leading their own natural resource management and sustainable development – an approach the Jane Goodall Institute calls “Tacare” (to “take care”). We also firmly believe in the power of young people. Our Roots & Shoots program empowers young people to identify problems facing people, other animals, and their environment – so that they see these interconnections and find ways to help locally. 

Jane and JGI are part of global campaigns and advocacy to influence environmental policies at all levels of government and stewardship. Our #EATMEATLESS campaign is part of our efforts to shine light on the damaging effects of the animal agricultural industry. Our “Jane’s Green Hope” campaign focuses on nature-based solutions through partnering with companies such as Hewlett Packard for native forest restoration and protection. 

Top down and bottom up, JGI believes everyone has a role in creating change and the responsibility to create a better world for us all. These threats facing our planet are complex, but when each of us takes part in transforming our systems, we change the way we view our relationship to one another and to the natural world.

You have defined 4 key groups with whom you want to work together to fight the 3 crises: young people, indigenous communities, the general public, and businesses. What responsibility but also what opportunities do you think businesses have in particular in the fight against climate change?

We know that a small group of around 100 companies are responsible for the majority of emissions, but we also know those companies consist of people. Jane often uses the analogy of speaking to someone’s “heart and their head” by sharing a story about how a young woman in Roots & Shoots spoke to her father who was in the fossil fuel industry about climate change. When we have these intergenerational conversations – interpersonally or between entities like JGI and major companies – we can make important shifts towards the necessary sustainability this world needs before it is too late. 

Jane and JGI work to have these conversations and keep the momentum going in the right direction. This means either directly scaling or deepening our work, increasing accessibility for end-users to participate in sustainable practices, and/or advancing efforts that will work with companies to identify ways to reduce negative impacts, carbon emissions, pollution, and more. 

What special challenges have you experienced in your collaboration with businesses, and what best practices for sustainable and climate-related business decisions have been most effective?

In any relationship, there is the need to make sure we are listening and creating a vision for the project that benefits everyone, one based in science, and which perpetuates movement towards tangible and real sustainability. Having companies see how robust our programs are, and how simple solutions can create big impact, has been less of a challenge and more of an emerging opportunity. 

When finding partners, the Jane Goodall Institute wants to make sure that they have already invested in carbon divestment goals and green transformations. We then find ways to move further to the goal together. Jane has always found common ground through conversations, and conversations are where true understanding happens – where is there already a chance for overlap or expanding programs that work? How can we use our brand to increase the accountability of a corporation to walk the talk? How can we also provide resources, insights, and expertise to ensure that every aspect of the partnership and deliverables are sustainable? These are the questions to ask. 

Do you have a message for companies that you would like to share in short words with the participants of the upcoming CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit 2023?

We know that there are so many innovative people in influential companies ready to turn the tide on the harms facing our planet through partnerships. Through the Jane Goodall Institute’s model, we have the programs, expertise, and investment in local and indigenous leadership, and we welcome thoughtful and meaningful partners to help take that work further. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team and when they see what is possible by working together, they are inspired to think more critically about the brands and organizations they support, and how they live their lives. 

Jane has always followed a path of doing what was right for the sake of the common good with the knowledge that we are all dependent on one another, this planet, and its finite resources. But as Jane says, “How is it that the most intellectual species to ever exist is destroying our only home?” One of Jane’s most important reasons for hope is the human intellect – what has driven our incredible globalized industries is our human brains, and so these same brains can work together to solve even the greatest of complex challenges. When we combine our intellect with using our hearts to guide us in doing what is right, we change the world. 

“Together we can. Together we will” 

We thank Anna for the inspiring interview.

Don’t miss her keynote at the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit 2023. Here you can secure your ticket.

JGI does not endorse handling or close proximity to wildlife. This represents a sanctuary context with trained professionals.

THE CLIMATE CHOICE says thank you for a special 2022!

What a year for climate champions! We all faced major new challenges in 2022 – especially companies that were particularly hard hit by the energy crisis and supply chain bottlenecks. Despite everything, you, the CLIMATE community, have continued to work with us to drive the transformation to a low-carbon economy. There have been many positive highlights and developments for which we at THE CLIMATE CHOICE want to say thank you. Let’s take a look at how 2022 allowed us to boost climate transformation all around the globe!

Kicking off the year with strong, new partners

Our year began with a firework of climate action. We were able to start working with many new major and influential customers for the Climate Intelligence Platform, including, as two special highlights, the corporate projects with the mobile phone provider o2 Telefónica and the baby food manufacturer HiPP. We kicked off inspiring collaborations to elevate the transparency of emissions along their supply chains by using our platform.

HiPP was able to successfully identify climate-related risks and potentials of five suppliers with the help of our software tool. HiPP’s Head of Sustainability Management Dr. Johannes Knubben reflects: “The software tool from THE CLIMATE CHOICE enables us to implement a scalable and reliable process to increase the climate-relevant transparency of our supply chain.”

Our next goal is to extend the software-driven climate data collection initially to other partners and ultimately to HiPP’s supply chain. Through an integration of THE CLIMATE CHOICE software tool into HiPP’s sustainability and procurement strategy, the full potential of climate-relevant supplier management is to be exploited.

Our corporate project with o2 Telefónica also successfully identified climate-related risks and potentials of the selected suppliers. The company is now able to develop a transparent, scalable process for collecting comparable data on the climate maturity of suppliers.

In the next step, we will integrate our platform into the procurement dashboard of o2 Telefónica. The climate-relevant data collection for the decarbonization of Scope 3 will be extended to around 1,000 suppliers.

CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit 2022

The climate action kept on flowing and reached a new peak at our #CTS2022. For the third year in a row, we brought together international climate leaders and procurement experts for our two-day 100% online Climate Transformation Summit. 

We welcomed 64 speakers, who interacted with over 1,000 attendees from 59 different countries. Attendees had the chance to participate in 12 limited workshops together with our Partners from B.A.U.M. e.V., First Climate, BearingPoint, AXA Climate School, Enviria, Fairantwortung gAG, Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG, Regionique, IBM, Make-IT Alliance, Telefónica Germany, EcoVadis, Alice Schmidt, ESG Portfolio Management,  Sustainable Procurement Pledge Germany, Development and Climate Alliance Foundation and WWF Germany. THE CLIMATE CHOICE says thank you!

More good news: We just announced the date for #CTS2023! We cannot wait to welcome you on May 11 & 12 2023 for two days full of climate action! Our focus this year: Making it happen – the decarbonization of supply chains! Together with you and leading experts, we will find out how we can impement CO₂ reduction along the value chain.

You can’t wait to secure your spot?
Get your Super Early-Bird ticket now!

You want to be a speaker, workshop host or partner? 
Let’s get in touch.

Launching CLIMATE Readiness Check

The most important insight we gained from the discussions at the #CTS2022 was that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular still find it very difficult to get a quick start in climate transformation because they often do not have sufficient know-how and/or resources. In response to this challenge, we worked over the summer on a new solution offering.

The result: In October, we launched our digital and freely available Climate Readiness Check in partnership with 10 leading sustainability organizations. Among those B.A.U.M. e.V., Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft e.V. (BNW), Stiftung Allianz für Klima und Entwicklung, Jaro Institut für Nachhaltigkeit und Digitalisierung e.V., and the Deutscher Mittelstands-Bund (DMB).

The Climate Readiness Check offers SMEs an easy entry point into their climate transformation: through knowledge and insights into their own climate maturity, benchmarks, suggestions for improvement, and access to a B2B climate data platform.

Our Launch was a full success! We are beyond happy to see so many companies kicking off their climate transformation with our Climate Readiness Check! We can’t wait to see who will join us in 2023!

You too can conduct the Climate Readiness Check for your company now and get free access to our platform!

Kickstarter Program 2022

In addition to the projects we developed ourselves, this year we were also part of pioneering external initiatives. Among them, one highlight: In August, we were selected from more than 2.000 applicants for the Climate Lab and Kickstart Innovation scale-up program in the finance and insurance track! Kickstart is one of the largest European Innovation Platforms. Each year they chose a select number of the best international startups to participate in a 10-week program.

We were honored to work in the program with corporates – such as Swisscom, Credit Suisse, AXA, Sanitas, Post Finance, La Mobilière, Coop, CSS, SATW – from the DACH region, who strive to reduce climate risks and emissions in value chains.

Thanks for the EU ‘Best Digital Solution’ Award

The cherry on top of 2022 was winning the “Best Digital Solution” award from the European Commission. The award recognizes the development of our software platform for the collection of climate-relevant data from suppliers and attributes it great impact potential for the greening and digitalization of European industry.

On behalf of the European Commission’s DG GROW, Deputy Director General Hubert Gambs emphasized: “Digital solutions are not only useful to be competitive and provide better value to European customers. They are also key to making our economy greener and European businesses more resilient to future shocks.”

We are so grateful and can’t wait to enable more businesses in boosting their climate transformation!

Many, many thanks for driving our Mission together!

Our mission at THE CLIMATE CHOICE is transforming every company into a climate champion and enabling businesses to make procurement decisions that are aligned with the 1.5-degree-goal! We have summarized our mission for you in this short video.

We are very grateful to work with inspiring companies – and that media is increasingly sharing our mission. THE CLIMATE CHOICE says thank you Süddeutsche Zeitung, t3n, Berliner Morgenpost, Gründerszene and many more, for featuring our platform and allowing us to gain more visibility on our mission! 

Our Wrap up, 2022!

Let’s wrap it up before we go back to wrapping presents. 2022 was a complicated year for the world. We learned that the energy transition is a major driver for the overall climate transformation. We literally saw that it is interlinked with peace and has a positive impact on people, planet and profit. At the THE CLIMATE CHOICE we are therefore honoured that we were able to work on one piece of the puzzle – bringing us towards a regenerative future. These are our 5 highlights:

1. Started working with major new customers, including HiPP and o2 Telefónica
2. Held our 3rd 100 % digital CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit with 64 speakers and 1.000 participants from 59 countries 
3. Launched our new Climate Readiness Check, accessible for companies of all sizes for free to kick off their climate transformation
4. Won the EU ‘Best Digital Solution’ award of the Get Digital Initiative from the European Commission and the European DIGITAL SME Alliance
5. Süddeutsche Zeitung, Gründerszene, t3n, Berliner Morgenpost, Beschaffung aktuell and many more shared our work

Our biggest ‘THANK YOU’ goes to you, Climate Champion! If you are reading this, you are dedicating your valuable time to make this climate transformation a positive one. Whether you are Sustainability Manager, Procurement Expert, or Tech Champion: You are on a mission to strive together with us for an economy that allows the world to stay below 1.5 degree. Let’s start the new year with the same energy and even more climate action. Cheers to 2023!

Your #TeamClimate

THE CLIMATE CHOICE

Schneider Electric’s Path to Scope 3 Decarbonization

To meet their climate targets, global corporations must reduce CO₂ from their supply chain in particular, which can account for up to 90% of their total emissions. The problem: they cannot reduce these Scope 3 emissions themselves, but instead have to enable their suppliers to do so. This collaboration requires, above all, holistic data on the climate performance of suppliers, which does not yet exist.

How does a global enterprise such as Schneider Electric deal with this challenge? This is what we learned at the the CHOICE Event #47 from Kanishk Negi, Sustainable Procurement Director at Schneider Electric. Here you will find the most important insights from his presentation.

Schneider Electric’s corporate sustainability strategy

Schneider Electric SE, the multinational leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, is aiming to accelerate sustainable progress for its customers, employees, partners and communities everywhere. For this purpose, the organization has set six long-term commitments:

• Act for a climate positive world
• Be efficient with resources
• Live up to our Principles of trust
• Create equal opportunities
• Harness the power of all generations
• Empower local communities 

To ensure compliance, Schneider Electric has committed to achieving 12 measurable goals by 2025.

The particular importance of procurement is reflected in the fact that one-third of these targets depend mainly on Schneider Electric’s supply chain (marked with a blue arrow in the graphic). Of these four procurement-dependent commitments, let’s now take a closer look at how Schneider Electric is trying to reduce the CO₂ emissions of its top 1,000 suppliers by 50%.

The challenges of Scope 3 decarbonization

Decarbonizing Scope 3, or supply chain emissions, is a complicated and challenging undertaking. This is especially true for a large and diversified company like Schneider Electric. The multinational organization employs more than 128,000 people in 115 different countries. Its procurement spend last year was over 14 billion euros. Because of its well-balanced global presence, Schneider Electric’s suppliers come from all parts of the world. Managing this global supply chain effectively is therefore a particularly complex task.

In addition, when Schneider Electric began looking at the climate maturity of its top 1,000 suppliers, further challenges came to light. As it turned out, 70% of these companies were actually new to the idea of decarbonization. This means that they had never calculated or quantified their carbon footprint and were not aware of the difference between Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Furthermore, two-thirds of the suppliers requested were found to be small and medium-sized enterprises. This added another nuance to the challenge, as smaller companies have only limited capacities and competencies when it comes to topics like sustainability and decarbonization. Accordingly, many suppliers initially took particular notice of the high cost factor involved in implementing climate protection measures.

Solving the problem: The Zero Carbon Project

After gathering all these insights and gaining a holistic understanding of the challenges, Schneider Electric launched a comprehensive support program in April 2021 and named it “The Zero Carbon Project”. Under the program, Schneider provides tools and resources in order to help suppliers set and achieve their climate targets. The suppliers participating in the program were first encouraged to quantify their CO₂ emissions using the company’s digital tools. This data was then used to set goals and strategies for emissions reduction. 

In order to provide suppliers with comprehensive support for climate actions, Schneider Electric has established a wide range of offerings. So far, more than 130 live training sessions on CO₂ calculation and decarbonization measures took place. In addition, Schneider Electric has provided its suppliers with various digital tools on its web portal. Among other things, they can use these for a digital emissions calculation as well as for best practice exchange with peers and partners to access other innovative solutions for decarbonization. The consultation is supported by specialized experts and is also adapted to the different geographical characteristics.

The results of all these intensive engagements have already been promising. 1,016 active suppliers are currently participating in the program and are being engaged in decarbonization measures. 90% of those suppliers have now calculated their CO₂e footprint. In addition, the participating suppliers have already reported around 8% reduction in their CO₂e emissions.

Streamlining Scope 3 decarbonization with digital tools

Schneider Electric’s pioneering efforts show that, despite today’s challenges, it is actually possible to successfully engage suppliers in decarbonizing the supply chain. Nevertheless, as it stands today, companies can only accomplish this extremely complex task with a great deal of effort, which is why digital tools are now more crucial than ever in order to streamline the process of collaborating with suppliers. 

One such tool is our Climate Intelligence Platform. The end-to-end Software as a Service platform helps enterprises to capture and manage comparable climate-related performance data and information from their suppliers. Via the secure IT platform, suppliers can easily report their climate data and obtain benchmarks, year-to-year comparisons as well as action-oriented potential and concrete decarbonization measures. Thereby, suppliers and customers can work together in a transparent manner to actively pursue climate goals.

For more information on the benefits of the Climate Intelligence Platform for Scope 3 decarbonization:

Get basic access for free within 5 minutes by completing our form and climate check.

Milestones in Climate Reporting – New CSRD Proposal finalized

For months the European Parliament and the EU Council have been negotiating, and now they have been finalized: the CSRD. These new rules for sustainability disclosures will tens of thousands of companies have to publish in the future.

The new proposal released at the end of June 2022 addresses shortcomings in the existing rules on disclosure of non-financial information. The existing regulation has formerly been considered insufficient to be properly taken into account by investors. But there is hope on the horizon! The new CSRD takes climate reporting to a historic new level. Find out the most relevant insights on the new CSRD proposal:

1. Introduced more detailed reporting requirements

Transparency is key. The CSRD makes sustainability-related information about companies more readily available, of higher quality and more comparable. Large companies are obligated to report on social and environmental issues, human rights as well as governmental factors. The disclosures must now be externally audited and made in a separate section of the annual report.

2. Over 50,000 companies in Europe soon to be affected by CSRD

Affected are large companies with over 500 employees that are already subject to the Non Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD). They will first have to prepare the reports for the 2024 financial year and publish them in 2025. Additionally, all other large companies will be required to report one year later. Finally, capital market-oriented SMEs will be included from the 2026 financial year.

From which points in time does the CSRD apply to companies?

• 2024 for companies already subject to the non-financial reporting directive
• 2025 for large companies that are not presently subject to the non-financial reporting directive
• 2026 for listed SMEs, small and non-complex credit institutions and captive insurance undertakings

Furthermore, non-European companies, which are generating a net turnover of €150 million in the EU and are having at least one subsidiary or branch in the EU, are required to report on their ESG impacts.

3. CSRD aligned with global reporting standards

The new CSRD guidelines will require companies to report in line with mandatory EU sustainability reporting standards. For example: the suggestions of the TCFD as well as the EU Taxonomy and the existing NFRD.

The reporting will need to cover:

• The Greenhouse Gas Protocol – disclosing their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.  

• The 6 environment impact criteria – disclosing how they substantially contribute to the environmental goals of the EU Taxonomy while not damaging one of them:
  • Climate change mitigation
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Water and marine resources
  • Circular economy
  • Pollutions
  • Biodiversity & ecosystems

• Existing ESG-Standards such as the GRI – disclosing their social and environmental impact as well as governance

• Responsible Business Guidelines (OECD) – disclosing the entire impact along the value chain

CSRD – Economy’s game changer

The European milestone in setting international standards for sustainability reporting shows: In the future, every company worldwide will have to disclose its climate impact. This will help investors to reorient capital flows towards sustainable investment and manage financial risks stemming from climate change and improve transparency.

This is a great opportunity, guidance and motivation for effective climate action. It enables companies to position themselves as pioneers and to empower business partners along the way.

You want to learn more on how to prepare best for CSRD, in order to seize the opportunity now to drive forward climate transformation? Access the Whitepaper on CSRD here to get more insights.

You want to drive climate transformation in your organization today? Find out more about the free CLIMATE Readiness Check here and take the first steps towards a low carbon economy!

Picture: Unsplash

Why the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit makes 2022 our year for actions!

Wow, what an energy! One week has passed since the 2 interactive days of the third edition of the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit ended. It is time to celebrate, to look back at the numbers, results and what we achieved together as CLIMATE Community.

A DREAM CLIMATE TEAM + A DOG
First of all, what I can share with you: a few months of inspiring work flowed into the #CTS2022! Which I was happy to lead together with our dedicated team from THE CLIMATE CHOICE – composed by Max and Lara, and the continuous support of our Growth Team. Sometimes even our office dog ‘Sunny’ brought in the necessary energy. But it did not stop here. We had countless enthusiastic helpers, partners and supporters who did everything to make the Summit valuable and meaningful. An incredibly big THANK YOU in advance to all of you. It was wonderful to be able to work with you!

BUILDING UP A GLOBAL CLIMATE COMMUNITY

So let me get you into the journey we took together. It all started as a brainstorming on an excel spreadsheet, and turned into an amazing event less than 6 months later. Gathering 1,000 climate enthusiasts, decision makers and curious people from around the world, all interested in learning more about climate transformation, and in particular about Decarbonisation of Companies and their Supply Chains. Fast forward: we kicked off the 100% online summit on 2nd June, with participants and experts joining from many many different countries.

STARTING A CLIMATE REVOLUTION

As stated by our co-founder Lara during her Welcome Speech: “We see now more than ever, companies need to step up and go into a sustainability revolution, but they need to act now, as the window of opportunity is closing faster and faster”. I bet the majority of us today would agree on this need for a sustainability revolution, driving a successful climate transformation of economy and within companies, but probably only few of us would know exactly what to do to get it started.

CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION IS A MATTER OF HOW, NOT IF

So let’s go deep here on actions! These are the three most important steps we learned about climate actions at #CTS2022.

The first point of departure would be to understand your individual status quo. Where does your company stand, how climate mature is it and which actions are already taken?  This step requires collecting all climate relevant data on your business and along the supply chain. This allows you to learn where you stand and to make assumptions about where you are most likely heading. As you may guess, this can be difficult to acknowledge, but it is the only way to start. With you and your own actions.

Therefore the only logical next step is to get active and find ways to reduce emissions. This most often brings in a new challenge, remembering that your accountability does not end at the borders of your company, but that the supply chain is where up to 90% of the total corporate emissions typically are generated.

Facing this hurdle brings you to step three: collaborate with your suppliers to align climate strategies, to share best practices and implement solutions to reduce emissions together. Useless to say that these can also create a positive impact on cost reduction, efficiency and sometimes even other sustainability issues such as loss of biodiversity, labor rights or plastic waste.

Allowing for best practices sharing around these three steps, on the first day,  we looked into how to become truly climate neutral, and then, on the second day,  went deeper into how to create and manage collaborative supply chains transformation and a planet proof procurement.

LEARNING FROM CHANGE AGENTS 

We welcomed over the course of the  two days over 64 speakers (of which proudly 52% were female, which we were able to achieve for the first time!!), who spoke with our audience composed of 30% of corporates and 15% of SMEs and a 55% going as ‘others’, such as start ups,  NGOs, Institutes or self-employed people, overall coming from 59 different countries.

THE MOST ACTIVE CLIMATE COMMUNITY

In fact, this year’s summit was for the first time entirely held in English, which made its CLIMATE Community more international than ever, with the top 10 countries represented being Germany, Austria, India, Switzerland, Netherlands, UK, Spain, France, Italy and USA!

The summit required, besides a strong internet connection, also a lot of focus, to grasp the insights shared during the various sessions, which were super interactive and helped answer questions coming from the participants. In fact, the #CTS2022 attendees deserve a special applause, as they were getting the most out of the  event platform we used. On average a participant spent an unbelievable amount of time:11 hours! Celebrating this huge level of commitment and lively contribution, we honored our 3 most active participants with the CLIMATE Community award. Thanks for your outstanding engagement!

GETTING YOUR HAND DIRTY 

Furthermore, attendees had the chance to participate in two of the 12 limited workshops we prepared for them, together with our Partners from  B.A.U.M. e.V., First Climate, BearingPoint, AXA Climate School, Enviria, Fairantwortung gAG, Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG, Regionique, IBM, Make-IT Alliance, Telefónica Germany, EcoVadis, Alice Schmidt, ESG Portfolio Management,  Sustainable Procurement Pledge Germany, Development and Climate Alliance Foundation and WWF Germany.

Quite amazingly, 73% of the attendees participated in a workshop, and loved it so much that the most recurring feedback was that we should have even more workshops next year! By looking at the attendance, it turns out that the  most popular topics covered in the workshops were the ESG regulations & EU Taxonomy reporting, the En-ROADS simulation and a concrete example on how to decrease emissions with a company and along the supply chain.

DISCOVERING CLIMATE SOLUTIONS 

Last but not least, the online fair, showcasing 26 different Climate Pioneers, was also available to our  attendees. They had the chance to meet the exhibitors at their booth, learn about their solutions and discuss possible business opportunities. A total number of around 4.500 visits to all booths was tracked down!

Which leads us to the last highlight of the online fair. We gave all attendees the opportunity to vote for the CLIMATE Champion Awards, which had all Exhibitors competing in the following three categories: 

• Climate Solution Pioneer (the exhibitor offering the best climate solution to decarbonise companies);
• Supply Chain Transformer (the exhibitor offering the best climate solution to transform supply chains);
• Exhibitor Hero (best booth design and most welcoming exhibitor).

The voting results saw 3 companies winning over the others, respectively CarbonStack (Climate Solution), THE CLIMATE CHOICE (Supply Chain Transformer) and Enviria (Exhibitor Hero). Thanks therefore for everyone voting, but a huge congratulations to all exhibitors – you do amazing work!

AFTER THE SUMMIT: MOVING TO ACTIONS

Overall, I had an amazing experience and it was an impactful event of which our Team Climate is proud of. But most importantly, now is the time for action. We learned a lot, we shared more and made valuable business connections. Let’s go out and start the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION in our daily lives and business decisions, see you next year!

Many thanks for everyone working with us, and me, on this #CTS2022 journey! I am very excited to move to a new role now within THE CLIMATE CHOICE, supporting our Growth & Customer Happiness Team. Stay tuned, sign up for our CLIMATE News and thus don’t miss on our next events, whitepapers and shared opportunities for Climate Actions! 

Your CLIMATE Team & Chiara

Our WHY behind the #CTS2022

Climate action is all about collaboration and we need to start thinking (and acting) beyond the company’s borders! How can we fulfill the latest regulations? Which innovations should we have on our radar? What are best practices of climate-progressive companies?

We believe that we can all learn from each other’s experiences to boost #climatetransformation! That is our ‘WHY’ behind our third CLIMATE Transformation Summit on June 2nd and 3rd.

As Dr. Jonathan Foley of Project Drawdown said last year at #CTS2021: 

 “It is not too late to stop climate change – the only thing stopping us is us. We have the tools, we have enough solutions to stop climate change and we can add more tools and solutions as we go.”

Dr Jonathan Foley – Project Drawdown

How do we go about it? At the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit 2022, over 900 Speakers, Climate Pioneers and Climate Solution Providers will gather to discuss Best-Practices of the Climate Transformation. Trend topic of this year’s climatesummit.de will be the decarbonization of companies and their supply chains. At the #CTS2022 we are going to raise questions of how to effectively reduce CO₂ along entire supply chains. We will share success stories and will learn from each other’s experiences – Together we design, create and discuss. For two days, live and 100% online. And the best part: You can participate!

On June 2nd and 3rd, we will all be part of the solution! We will work together to make our goal – decarbonising companies and their supply chains – a reality. In interactive Panels, Fireside Chats, Speed-Networking Sessions and an Online Fair, we will talk openly about challenges and opportunities and discover tangible climate solutions! In deep-dive workshops, you can share your insights, clarify your questions, actively participate and get to know the community. 

The Agenda of #CTS2022 – Changing the economy together

We already know how to tackle the Climate Transformation! Today, Climate-Tech and Green-Tech innovations from different fields enable innovative climate solutions. Get to know the climate experts and solution providers at the #CTS2022:

Among others, we will have Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf (PIK), Yvonne Zwick (B.A.U.M. e.V.), Gaby Symonds (Nestlé Germany AG), Dr. Jonathan Foley (Project Drawdown), Therese Seiringer (Vodafone Germany), Johannes Knubben (HiPP), Gundula Ullah (FUNKE Mediengruppe), Tom Raftery (SAP) and many more.

In order to find ways for a regenerative future, we need to bring the climate debate out of the niche and into the broad economy and provide practical steps to implement Climate Transformation in businesses. And since we already know that the supply chain is the biggest lever of Climate Transformation, it gets clear: We can only do it together!

Transparency, Collaboration and Data!

We are looking forward to learning from our speakers, coming from international corporations such as Microsoft, IBM, Telefónica Germany, SIEMENS and Nestlé as well as from CLIMATE Pioneers such as WWF, Project Drawdown and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact! All of them are ready to share valuable business insights with you into how their organization is tackling the biggest opportunity of our time: The Climate Transformation! 

How do we engage all relevant stakeholders and how do we establish a functional supplier-management? At the #CTS2002, these are only some of the questions that will be answered by leading Climate Experts. Topics like climate-relevant procurement decisions and data-driven solutions for climate performance assessments will be covered. Businesses will get insights on how to prepare for upcoming climate-related disclosure requirements, such as the EU-Taxonomy, and companies will get to know innovative ways on how to collaborate with suppliers, in order to move towards a climate-relevant economy, together!

YOUR SUMMIT, YOUR CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION! 

The #CTS2022 is exactly what you are looking for? You can still get a ticket! The CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit invites all decision-makers, climate officers, buyers, green tech entrepreneurs, self-employed, researchers and interested parties who want to implement relevant climate transformation measures and best practices now! 

TOGETHER WITH STRONG PARTNERS!

The summit connects solution providers and companies, as well as interested parties and experts. The #CTS2022 is made possible to a large extent by its great supporters! Without B.A.U.M. e.V., First Climate, Ørsted, BearingPoint, AXA Climate School, Enviria, Fairantwortung gAG, Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG, Regionique, IBM, Make-IT Alliance and StackFuel, the Summit would not be possible! Likewise, our terrific media partners make the Summit a real community event! Thank you for your support and enthusiasm, which makes us look forward to the Summit with great excitement. It’s wonderful that you are all here! 

Since we want to make climate transformation accessible to as many people as possible, the Transformation Ticket is for those who cannot afford the ticket due to the current situation. It gives you access to all event points. Please send us an email to kontakt@theclimatechoice.com – subject: Transformation-Ticket. We are looking forward to seeing you!

This year’s workshops at #CTS2022 – Take action and be part of change! 

The preparations are full on – the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit 2022 is just around the corner! Just 5 weeks to go until Climate Experts, Entrepreneurs and Decision-Makers get connected to discuss and share Best-Practices on decarbonizing the supply chain. Are you in? Get to know more about the program and exclusive workshops at climatesummit.de below.

Climate Targets and Decarbonization – Why is it relevant today? 

The topic of supply chain decarbonization is more relevant this decade than ever before. Many companies have already set climate targets and aim to build a climate-compatible supply chain. Not only because most of them understand that including a climate strategy into their core company goals is relevant today more than ever, but also because political decisions drive companies towards the disclosure of climate relevant information. 

For example, the European Union is about to tighten controls on supply chains and demands companies to review their entire supply chain instead of merely their direct suppliers. According to the EU’s draft for the supply chain act, companies with 500 employees and 150 million Euro annual revenue are required to disclose relevant information regarding social and environmental standards along the supply chain. Corporates now face the challenge of preparing for this law. However, most of the companies still lack the knowledge and resources to make climate relevant decisions and create transparency around the value chain in order to identify the important savings potential. 

The value chain is the biggest lever for a successful Climate Transformation – up to 90% of the emissions are generated along the supply chain. So let’s take this challenge and transform it into an opportunity! Here is how the climatesummit.de will help you achieve this.

Why you should take part in #CTS2022

In order to effectively reduce CO₂, the first step is to calculate Scope 1-3 emissions. Generating climate-relevant data along the supply chain is the foundation to get an overview over the suppliers climate performances. Doesn’t sound feasible yet?

Together with Climate Experts and Change-Makers, we will explore the questions around climate-relevant data and how it’s being used for managing climate-related risks and opportunities along the supply chain. Data experts will share their experiences and success stories and show how climate data enables a holistic supply chain decarbonization and drives a strong Climate Transformation in businesses. In keynotes, panels and fireside chats, Climate Pioneers such as Project Drawdown, WWF Germany and B.A.U.M. e.V. will give insights on how to implement Climate Transformation internationally and based on most recent scientific findings share Best-Practices for decarbonization.

Also, Climate Transformation isn’t something to do on your own. That’s why connecting a strong CLIMATE Community and building networks is also one of the main goals of the Summit. At our online fair, you will get to know innovative climate solutions – such as myclimate, windCORE, BearingPoint, greenmiles and exxeta. Learn how these suppliers of climate-friendly B2B products or services can help your company reduce CO₂ and build a climate-relevant supply chain.

Interactive workshops with CLIMATE Pioneers

And that’s not all! We also want to hear what you have to say! Take part in this year’s interactive workshops and share your experiences and expertise as well as raise your questions around the topic of decarbonization. From workshops about climate-relevant procurement and supplier management to creating solutions on how to reach the 1.5 degree goal in a climate simulation game – Here’s something for everyone!

Which specific topics await you? Find out more about the workshops below. Here are some of the topics that will be tackled in the workshops this year – more details will soon be published on the climatesummit.de.

Employee engagement

Have you ever wondered how to train employees on climate and sustainable transformation? AXA Climate enables companies to upskill and engage all employees to succeed in the sustainable transition and already trains more than 3 million subscribers. Join the workshop in order to learn more about driving Climate Transformation together with your employees.

Global Climate Action – Simulation Game

Ready to take action? In this interactive workshop with Alice Schmidt, we are going to simulate global climate action and together create a scenario in which global warming stays below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Together, we will establish high-impact actions and discuss how energy efficiency, renewable energy investment or carbon pricing affects temperature rise.

Climate-compatible Procurement

In workshops with Sustainable Procurement Pledge Germany and BearingPoint, we will tackle the most relevant questions about sustainable procurement. We will explore how procurement can engage suppliers in the race to Net-Zero emissions by 2050, the pros and cons of doing so, and how to make it happen. Learn how to increase supplier engagement and enable your relevant suppliers to reach climate targets.

Data-driven CLIMATE Rating

It’s all about data – In the workshop by Telefónica and The Climate Choice, we will discuss the relevance of climate-related ESG data and how it enables companies to make sustainable sourcing decisions. Learn how to collaborate with suppliers in order to successfully decarbonize your supply chain by using data-driven Climate Analysis Tools.

Transparency and ESG-Reporting

Reporting standards and disclosure needs are providing new risks and chances. What are companies expected to deliver? In this workshop with Christoph Klein, companies’ executives understand the perspective and requirements of a manager of article 9 funds. Join the discussion and learn how to tackle the challenges of companies to comply with new reporting standards.

Join #CTS2022 – be part of Climate Transformation

As you can see, the #CTS2022 will be full of different insights, learnings and opportunities to challenge your company with new CO₂-reduction strategies and Best-Practices for Climate Transformation! Not only in the „Climate Bubble“ but among the wider economic sphere, we need to raise awareness and make climate solutions easily accessible for every business – cause that’s how real change happens. The climatesummit.de invites all Decision-Makers, Climate Officers, Green-Tech Entrepreneurs, Freelancers, Researchers and interested parties to join the CLIMATE Community and enable a long-lasting Climate Transformation!

We are happy to have you joining! Get your ticket here!

Featured Images: Unsplash

Why should I attend the #CTS2022?

Hello again and welcome to the second blog entry on this year’s CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit, here is Chiara, the Event Project Manager of the Summit. In case you missed the first blog post and do not want to leave anything behind, I suggest you read here before proceeding.

SO FAR SO GOOD

Three weeks have passed since we last spoke and SO MUCH has happened! Everyday we have had super interesting calls with potential speakers, exhibitors, workshop hosts and media partners and I can assure you that the #CTS2022 will be a great learning and networking experience!

You don’t have a ticket yet? Register here and enjoy the Early Bird Discount, only available for a limited amount of time! 

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT?

That’s a very good question and the answer is: Climate Data & Supply Chain Transformation. These two will respectively be the focus points of the 2 days of the Summit, happening on the 2^nd & 3^rd June 2022.

The Supply Chain is where the majority of corporate CO₂ emissions stem from, and is also the most difficult aspect to tackle, as it is (mostly) out of one’s control. However, at the #CTS2022 we want to show how Climate Data and Procurement are intrinsically related and how the only way to REALLY change things is to take responsibility beyond the borders of your company.

A HOT TOPIC YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

The Decarbonisation of the Supply Chain is a highly debated topic and we read it more and more often on the news. The European Commission has recently adopted a proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, which aims to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour throughout global value chains. This means that soon corporations will need to identify and if necessary, prevent, end or mitigate adverse impacts of their activities on human rights and on the environment. This is easier said than done, and it will be the main focus of the #CTS2022!

DOES ONLINE MEAN BORING?

Of course not! Even if the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit is 100% online, it is also 100% live! This means that all attendees will have the opportunity to connect and chat with the people present, to exchange contact information and interact with one another. We want to offer you a great experience and will make sure to deliver it to you!

#StayTuned to find out the technical details for the #CTS2022, coming up soon!

WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA? ONE PANEL AT A TIME

I guess you are all dying to know more about the agenda of the Summit and I’m here to tell you exactly this.

1. KEYNOTE

Each day we will start with a Keynote Speech, where Sustainability Experts and Practitioners will give impactful insights linked to the Decarbonisation of the Supply Chains. Why? It’s always good to hear from the experts their viewpoints and it’s a good way to get you started on the summit.

2. FIRST PANEL

How can companies and corporates improve their sustainability performance, if they don’t know where they’re standing? To have clear and reliable climate data it’s equally important and hard for companies, and this will be the starting point of discussion during the First Main Panel. I bet you cannot wait to hear what will come out of this Panel – neither can I!

3. WORKSHOPS

After having “passively” heard our Speakers, it’s time to get into action and participate in one of the selected Workshops! We will have around 5 Workshops happening simultaneously and attendees will register in advance to their most preferred ones (one for each day). This is the time where attendees can actively contribute and participate in what our Workshop hosts prepared for them – details on the workshops will soon be published on the ClimateSummit.de!

4. ONLINE FAIR

And then what’s next? After the workshops it’s time to visit our amazing CLIMATE Online Fair! Start-ups and Innovators, providing B2B climate solutions will welcome you at their virtual Exhibitor Booth, where they will present you their services and products. So you will have the chance to get your personal deep dive into climate transformation. You certainly don’t want to miss what is out there. You aim to become an exhibitor yourself, you can still apply to become one here.

5. FIRESIDE CHAT

Last but not least, the afternoon will be all about the interactive Fireside Chats, where three speakers at a time will exchange ideas and experiences on the chosen topic. Additionally, the moderators of the panel discussions will ask questions coming from the audience via the live chat.

The program is truly exciting and interactive, the line up of the Speakers is very promising – anything that is still missing is you! Check out the agenda here and get ready to join!

I hope this gave you an overview of what the Summit will all be about, but the only way to truly be part of the climate transformation is by attending it! We are looking forward to meeting you in June. 

Get your ticket now and join the CLIMATE Community!

Any question remained? Please feel free to write to me, I am happy to help.

Chiara

Third time’s the charm: #CTS2022!

In four months the third edition of the CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit will take place. My name is Chiara Tufarelli, I am this year’s Event Project Manager and I am very excited to give you a glimpse of what the #CTS2022 will be like this year, so let’s get started!

WHAT AWAITS YOU

We are taking the next step: for the first time the CTS is entirely going to be held in English! No more language barrier for those who do not speak German – it is a very hard language after all, I know it very well as I am Italian and I’ve been struggling with it for years!

The reason for this change is obvious if you think of the mission of the #CTS2022: sharing best practices and creating a CLIMATE Community to foster decarbonisation.

THE WHAT, THE HOW AND THE WHY

This leads me to the second point I want to touch upon: who is participating?

The CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summit is the first 100% online B2B event where climate officers, procurement leaders, decision makers, politicians and innovators participate to learn from one another – sharing their insights, best practices and challenges working on the climate transformation. The focus of the #CTS2022 will thus be on the Decarbonisation of Companies and their Supply Chains, which is where the majority of corporate CO2 emissions stems from! Exciting, isn’t it? It also creates a certain fil rouge with the previous Summits, where the focus was first on learning about climate solutions, at #CTS2020, and then on implementing climate goals in action, at #CTS2021.

WHERE AND WHEN?

Now that you know the what and the who, I should probably tell you the when and how: the 2^nd and 3^rd of June, 100% online, live and interactive!

Considering that we will all meet online, you don’t have to worry about flying in, finding a hotel room or cancelling last minute saying that you “tested positive” – this event is climate- and covid-proof!

CLIMATE COMMUNITY

Now I have to be honest with you and tell you that I didn’t participate to the previous CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION Summits – I wasn’t aware of them yet – but I’ve heard they’ve been pretty awesome! So no matter if you are new to the world of climate transformation and supply chain decarbonisation or a leading expert, join the CLIMATE community and make 2022 matter the most! Head right away to EventBrite where you can enjoy an Early Bird Discount on the tickets!

ARE YOU STILL READING?

In case you like to find out even more about the #CTS2022, on the website you can get already a sneak preview of this year’s speakers.

Among them we have Professor Stefan Rahmstorf, Head of the Earth System Analysis Department at Potsdam Institute für Klimafolgen (PIK). In 2017, he was the first scientist outside the USA to be awarded the Climate Communication Prize. Stefan will open the summit with his keynote, getting us all excited to take actions!

Then, if you’re interested in climate disclosure and regulations, you cannot miss the opportunity to meet Yvonne Zwick, CEO of B.A.U.M. e.V., who undertook various positions in the office of the German Council for Sustainable Development from 2004 onwards and now joins as an expert in EFRAG’s SME working group, which is developing the European sustainability reporting standard for companies.

Finally, if you’re a procurement passionate, you will certainly appreciate the expertise of Yvonne Jamal, CEO of the JARO Institut e.V., who is specialized in sustainable procurement and wants to ensure that sustainable action becomes the standard for the economy – by imparting relevant knowledge, connecting people and organizations and working for the implementation of the SDGs.

WHAT A TEAM! AND MANY MORE TO JOIN…

On the #CTS2022 website you will find in the next days and weeks more speakers who will be revealed. I will happily introduce them to you next time. 

Alright, I think you noticed I am pretty excited and looking forward to meeting you soon!

For now, I go back to planning the Summit, but I’ll keep you updated in the THE CLIMATE CHOICE Magazine! 

See you then!

Chiara