Sustainable Procurement and Carbon Insetting – Why Your Business Should Care

Climate change isn’t going away – could carbon insetting be part of the solution?

With a growing pressure on businesses to show how they’re engaging with discussions around it and what they’re doing to lessen their environmental impact – it’s essential that your organisation is continually looking for ways to operate more sustainably.

Carbon emissions are recognised as a key contributor towards climate change – that eventually could lead to rising sea levels, destruction of animals’ natural habitats, extreme weather and more.

Over the years there has been worldwide efforts to address these complex challenges, recognised through the likes of COP26 and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, both of which have outlined targets and steps to achieving a greener future.

Whilst individuals have been encouraged to make more environmentally-friendly choices to help their carbon footprint, achieving a sustainable future is mostly dependent on businesses. Businesses big and small are responsible for emitting large amounts of carbon and other greenhouse gases.

Carbon Insetting and Carbon Offsetting – What’s the Difference?

Carbon offsetting is one established way for businesses to reduce their carbon impact. This is where organisations actively look to offset their own carbon footprint by actively removing emissions of carbon and other greenhouses gases in other ways.

Typical examples of this include establishing relationships with reforestation schemes and by planting trees, as they are excellent natural resources that effectively absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Carbon credits are also another way to offset emissions and consist of a purchasable and tradable certificate or permit that provides the holder a right to emit a specified amount of carbon or other greenhouses gases.

Carbon insetting is something quite different. It’s a method for reducing Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions – reducing the carbon footprint of your suppliers to reduce your impact on the planet.

Creating Value Throughout the Supply Chain

Carbon insetting refers to when a company looks to reduce emissions within the supply chain.

From investing in new technology that helps lower an affiliated organisations’ emissions, through to working with them to establish more sustainable business practices – carbon insetting is identifying unsustainable areas within the supply chain and taking action to remedy them. It is an effective strategy of carbon reduction, and when implemented correctly has a wealth of mutual benefits for everyone involved.

It might include helping a supplier to invest in more sustainable machinery or logistics, or working with them to fund projects to improve their overall sustainability credentials.

As well as lowering emissions across the supply chain, carbon insetting demonstrates ethical and green credentials – showing that your business is environmentally aware and playing its part in the fight against climate change.

Applying sustainability initiatives of any kind also creates opportunity for new effective relationships in line with these new values. It can also help make your organisation more efficient as it allows you to identify areas in need of improvement by replacing ineffective or costly practices with ones that are innovative, current and sustainable.

Carbon Insetting with Gateway Procurement

If you’re wondering where to begin – we can help.

Sustainable procurement and the successful carbon insetting are inextricably linked.

We can work alongside your business to assess your current practices, establish where you are and create effective development and improvement plans for a greener, more sustainable future and supply network. This means critically examining your current supply chain participants, pinpointing the areas and organisations who are most suitable for carbon insetting and establishing how this could be done in a cost-effective and achievable way.

From implementing ISO20400 standard, achieving Net Zero and calculating your carbon footprint, through to sustainability health checks and engaging suppliers on your behalf – we are here to help you build a sustainable and successful future.

Combining years of experience in the industry with our specialist, cloud-based software such as Axiom’s Supply Chain Emissions Calculator – we provide bespoke support, equipping you with tools and knowledge needed to embed sustainable procurement throughout the whole supply chain.