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In today’s climate-conscious marketplace, a company’s responsibility does not stop at emissions from physical assets. Increasingly, businesses are turning their attention to their upstream supply chain emissions as critical components of their decarbonization strategy. Scope 3 emissions, which often account for the largest portion of a company’s carbon footprint, are notoriously difficult to manage. But as AstraZeneca has demonstrated, companies can leverage their purchasing power to drive meaningful climate action across their supply chains.

How AstraZeneca is leading by example

During a recent webinar co-hosted by CDP and AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical giant shared how it is using supplier engagement as a catalyst for emissions reductions. As part of CDP’s Supply Chain program, AstraZeneca requests emissions disclosures from its suppliers, encourages verification of Scope 1, 2 and upstream Scope 3 emissions, and offers guidance to help suppliers align with evolving regulations.

This level of supplier engagement is not just good climate governance, it’s good business. By gathering emissions data directly from its supply base, AstraZeneca can better evaluate risk, plan decarbonization strategies, and build long-term resilience into its value chain. 

CDP’s supply chain platform offers a standardized framework for collecting this data. It allows large purchasing organizations, like AstraZeneca, to effectively gather detailed information on climate data that can also be shared with other purchasing organizations. 

For smaller vendors, there’s flexibility. While CDP prioritizes Scope 1 and 2 verification for these businesses, AstraZeneca stressed that even partial disclosure is a valuable first step. The emphasis is on continuous progress, not perfection.

For companies looking to replicate this model, the takeaway is clear: you don’t need to be a global pharmaceutical brand to influence your supply chain. Any organization can adopt supplier engagement strategies to make emissions reporting and reduction a shared responsibility.

How your organization can get started

Here’s how to get started:

  • Understand highest-emitting suppliers: Complete a GHG inventory assessment to determine which suppliers in your supply chain are contributing most to the company’s GHG emissions.

  • Set internal goals and resources for supplier outreach: Understand cost implications, internal time resources, and goals surrounding the supplier engagement initiative.

  • Target suppliers for emissions data: Provide suppliers with clear instructions, expectations and tools to help them disclose effectively through frameworks like CDP, Ecovadis, or custom frameworks.

  • Prioritize verification: Encourage or require emissions data to be third-party verified over time, especially for key categories like purchased goods and services.

  • Set shared targets: Collaborate with suppliers to establish science-based reduction goals and build decarbonization plans that benefit both parties.

  • Celebrate progress: Recognize suppliers making strides in emissions reporting and reductions.

How Greenplaces can help

At Greenplaces, we help organizations simplify and scale these efforts. Our supplier engagement solutions are integrated with trusted platforms like EcoVadis and designed to improve transparency, streamline CDP reporting, and drive emissions reductions across your supply chain. Whether you’re just starting to measure Scope 3 or looking to accelerate supplier accountability, we can help.

Frequently asked questions

Scope 3 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in a company’s value chain, such as those from suppliers, business travel, or product use. They often represent the largest share of a company’s carbon footprint and are essential to address for meaningful climate impact.

AstraZeneca engages suppliers through CDP’s Supply Chain program, requesting emissions disclosures and verification. They offer guidance to help suppliers comply with climate reporting frameworks and collaborate to set emissions reduction targets.

CDP’s Supply Chain program allows large purchasing organizations to collect standardized climate data from their suppliers. This data helps companies assess risks, measure emissions, and identify opportunities to decarbonize their supply chains.

Yes. AstraZeneca encourages even partial disclosures as a starting point. The goal is continuous progress, not perfection, with a focus on gradually improving emissions transparency and verification over time.

Start with a GHG inventory to identify high-impact suppliers, then set clear internal goals and expectations. Provide suppliers with tools and frameworks (like CDP or EcoVadis), and collaborate to verify data and set reduction targets.

Greenplaces offers solutions that integrate with platforms like EcoVadis to simplify supplier data collection, improve emissions transparency, and streamline CDP reporting. We help organizations at any stage of their supplier engagement journey.

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