BT Group, Ikea, and Unilever among a host of big brands backing plans to help smaller businesses set net zero goals, as 1.5C Supply Chain Leaders group commits to making climate targets a key factor in purchasing criteria
A raft of major multinational corporations, including BT Group, Ericsson, IKEA, Telia, and Unilever have joined forces to found a new initiative dedicated to slashing greenhouse gas emissions from corporate supply chains.
The newly-formed 1.5C Supply Chain Leaders initiative, which will be unveiled today as part of the New York Climate Week, commits members to make climate-related targets and performance a key supplier purchasing criteria, in a bid to "promote, reward and inspire" climate action across the value chain.
All of the group's founding members have committed to halving their absolute greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by mid-century at the latest.
Launched by the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, the new programme will also see partners step up efforts to help small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) cut their emissions through a newly-launched information hub that will collate tools, knowledge, and best practice on corporate sustainability.
"Working together with suppliers is an absolute necessity for large corporations with net zero ambitions," Johan Falk, co-founder and head of the Exponential Roadmap initiative, said. "As 1.5C Supply Chain Leaders we look to develop concrete tools, help remove blockers and provide the resources required to support suppliers, working together to our common targets."
Alongside the pledge to prioritise of environmental performance in purchasing criteria, the new SME Climate Hub will aim to make it easier for suppliers to develop their own decarbonisation strategies.
The Hub will encourage SMEs to halve their absolute greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050, the group said. Companies that set such targets will gain access to number of relevant tools and resources that provide guidance on slashing emissions and building business resilience.
Andy Wales, BT Group's chief digital impact and sustainability officer, said the initiative would support the company's ongoing drive to reduce the emissions of its suppliers. "At BT, over two-thirds of our end-to-end carbon emissions come from our supply chain," he said. "To help us become a net zero emissions business by 2045, we're asking our suppliers to commit to climate action and we're working with them to substantially reduce their carbon emissions by 2030 . By working together, we'll be able to curb emissions and help pave the way for others to follow."
Henrik Elm, global supply chain manager of Ikea, also toasted the new initiative. "We will not be able to limit climate change by working alone, he said. "Only by working together will we show that it is possible."
The launch of the Exponential Roadmap Initiative's new projects come just days after BT joined the group's 1.5 Business Playbook intiative.
It also comes on the same day as a new update from the UN-backed Race to Zero initiative revealed that the number of governments, businesses, and other institutions to set net zero targets has more than doubled since the start of the year, with the number of businesses making such pledges rising three-fold from around 500 to 1,541.
Thanks to the support of our partners we are able to offer a select number of free passes to small businesses keen to accelerate their climate efforts. You can register for a place here.
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