Scope 3 Engagement with Sumday
What is supplier or value chain engagement?
The Challenge
Most companies are beginning to measure their emissions, and for many, the bulk of those emissions come from the supply chain (Scope 3 – Purchased Goods and Services). Often, more than 80% of a company’s footprint relies on multiplying spend data by industry average emission factors. This approach, while practical, doesn’t reflect actual reductions if suppliers make progress. Essentially, without direct supplier data, net zero or Scope 3 reductions are hard to credibly achieve.
Getting Data from Suppliers at Scale
Gathering accurate emissions data from thousands of suppliers can be challenging. Simple forms and calculators won’t cut it—companies must support suppliers in integrating carbon accounting into regular business practices, with audit-ready data so they can rely on this for their own scope 3 reporting. This ensures transparency, rewards progress, and reduces greenwashing risks. Scope 3 data needs the same level of rigour as financial reporting.
What Sumday Offers: Moving from Averages to Actuals
Replacing average Scope 3 emissions with actual data requires emissions driven by a supplier’s specific inputs, not generic averages. Companies need to judge the quality of supplier data for replacing an average, a task increasingly managed by finance or external accountants with transparent disclosures. Sumday’s goal is to make quality data accessible and easily shareable, without overwhelming suppliers with endless forms.
The Sumday Approach
Technology alone can’t solve this—it’s also about changing how people engage. Let’s break down the steps, addressing the human challenges that often block progress.
Step 1: Gather the Right Team and Build Knowledge
Human Challenge: Many in the company may not fully understand why this data is critical or what to do with it.
Create a “golden triangle” team from Sustainability, Procurement, and Finance to drive this initiative:
- Finance will see this data in annual reports, so it’s time to get familiar with GHG standards and ensure reporting is audit-ready.
- Sustainability can use this data to shape impactful strategies and bring more stakeholders on board.
- Procurement knows supplier relationships best and can lead practical conversations, ensuring data requests are clear and manageable.
Each team member can access Sumday’s upskilling resources through the Sumday Academy to confidently fulfill their roles.
Step 2: Segment Suppliers for Tailored Engagement
Human Challenge: There's a common assumption that suppliers don’t have valuable data, making engagement seem burdensome or pointless.
Instead of one-size-fits-all requests, categorize suppliers into groups:
- Mature: Established public companies with experience in GHG reporting.
- Starting: Mid-sized businesses likely preparing for upcoming reporting requirements.
- Learning: Small and medium enterprises, some taking voluntary steps, others new to the concept.
Tailor Your Communication to each group. Send a clear, context-setting email explaining:
- Why you’re reaching out
- Your goals and targets
- What you need and deadlines
- Support available (e.g., Sumday access, help desk)
- A date for a webinar with a Q&A session
Sumd[AI] helps you prepare these communications with templates to reduce admin for suppliers, making the request manageable and supportive.
Step 3: Send the Data Request with Confidence
Human Challenge: Uncertainty about what to request can lead to procrastination.
Sumday offers templates with best-practice questions, designed to help you replace averages with actuals and track emissions reductions.
When you send a request, suppliers receive:
- Their own Sumday account for centralized data requests: Suppliers can store responses and provide consistent, audit-ready data to all customers.
- Access to free resources: Suppliers get 60 days of access to accounting tools, Sumday Academy courses, and help desk support.
Customizable Requests: Soon, you’ll be able to customize and save your own templates in Sumday to create tailored requests for different supplier categories.
Step 4: Track Supplier Responses and Emission Reduction Progress
Human Challenge: Once data is collected, teams may not know how to use it effectively.
This isn’t about expecting perfection from suppliers immediately. Instead, tracking engagement alone yields insights that can inform future engagement and highlight high-impact opportunities.
Sumday enables you to monitor which suppliers respond and which don’t, identify those with GHG accounting practices, and better understand supplier barriers to reducing emissions. This data can shape future strategies, whether it’s engaging with major suppliers on reduction plans or creating case studies spotlighting proactive SMBs.
Replace Averages with Actuals as Suppliers Progress
Sumday helps your team identify where supplier data can confidently replace averages. As more suppliers provide data annually, Sumday’s evolving features will streamline this process, making it easy to document and disclose decisions, improving both internal communication and external reporting.
The Impact
By engaging suppliers thoughtfully and providing:
- Access to an Academy with upskilling resources
- A help desk for questions
- Baseline-setting tools
- Resources for reducing emissions
…you become a valued partner in their sustainability journey. As Scope 3 emissions become increasingly central, this approach may be one of the most impactful steps you can take.
Ready to start? Let’s build a transparent, supportive supply chain and make meaningful progress towards Scope 3 reductions.