Sourcing
Sustainably sourcing raw materials
The emissions from growing, extracting and manufacturing raw materials represent a major hotspot in the retail industry’s carbon footprint. Although outside of their direct operations, retailers are ideally placed to facilitate the transformation of product supply chains through improved specifications and procedures for sustainable sourcing.
Milestones
2025
- Reporting by retailers on their progress to tackle supply chain deforestation.
- Support for regenerative agriculture and greenhouse gas mitigation on farms.
- Programmes with suppliers to accelerate their decarbonisation activities.
2030
- Zero deforestation from major commodities (beef and leather, cocoa, palm oil, timber, pulp and paper, rubber, soy).
- Sustainable design principles embedded for raw material and product specifications.
2035
- Circular feedstocks widely used.
- Deep decarbonisation in key raw material production and processing.
- CO2 removals projects implemented and delivering verifiable results.
2040
- Net zero agricultural production from UK farms, in line with NFU commitment.
Action
Raw materials are the foundation of products and businesses, and how suppliers grow, harvest, extract and process the materials used in consumer goods can have a significant impact on a product’s carbon footprint. The breadth and complexity of retailer supply chains requires effective and collaborative supplier engagement practices to decarbonise product supply chains, such as through the implementation of sustainable agricultural and forestry practices.
Read these resources
Seeing The Wood for the Trees Deforestation guidance by IBM Consulting
Monitor, Measure and Report Scope 3 Supply Chain Emissions by IBM Consulting
Overcoming the Supply Chain Sustainability Conundrum by IBM Consulting
Sourcing Content
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