Supplier engagement for scope 3

Good supplier engagement doesn't start with a questionnaire. It starts with a clear process anchored in procurement from day one.

Building data requirements into contracts from the beginning creates commitment from day one. This makes PCF data a fixed part of supply terms.

1. Start with the suppliers that matter most

In most supply chains, scope 3.1 emissions (purchased goods and services) concentrate on a small number of suppliers. Start there. 
Addressing these suppliers first with methodology support and access to experts delivers visible results fast, which is in the buyer's interest too. Contacting all suppliers at once brings plenty of responses, but they're often incomplete and inconsistent. Prioritisation protects your own team as much as your suppliers.
One thing to consider: ranking suppliers by maturity as well as emissions impact. Suppliers experienced in carbon accounting deliver better data faster and serve as a reference point for others.
Example: A multivitamin juice manufacturer sources orange concentrate, packaging, sugar, and flavourings. Concentrate and packaging drive most of the emissions. By starting there, the juice manufacturer builds a solid data foundation quickly without contacting every supplier at once.
 

2. Make it easy for the supplier's

The gap between buyer and supplier perspectives is the most underestimated barrier in scope 3 data collection.
Requesting supplier data requires a shift in perspective. Buyers think in scope 3 categories and reporting requirements. Suppliers think in production processes, cost, and capacity. Companies that don't bridge this gap don't fail because of unwillingness, but rather a lack of understanding.
On top of that, suppliers receive requests from several customers at once, in different formats, on different platforms. Relying on established, interoperable standards reduces this burden and increases willingness to participate.
Example: The orange supplier has no idea what "cradle-to-gate PCF per the PACT methodology" means. But they know exactly how much water, energy, and fertiliser go into a tonne of concentrate. A template that asks exactly that, in their language and context, gets answers.
 

3. Make participation worth their while

A PCF isn't a one-off. Suppliers can reuse it with every customer who asks for one.  And as purchasing requirements rise, that list keeps growing.
Concrete incentives reinforce this. Suppliers who provide solid emissions data are favoured in tenders, get longer contract terms, or gain access to better financing conditions through supply chain finance programmes. Framing the process as shared value rather than a compliance request changes the dynamic.
Example: The juice manufacturer tells its orange supplier that validated PCF data will count in favour of the next tender. The supplier invests in the calculation not because they have to, but because there's a clear benefit.
 

4. Equip procurement teams

Supplier engagement fails internally, too. 
Procurement, sustainability, and finance end up pulling in different directions. If procurement doesn't understand what a PCF is, the methodology that sits behind it, or why data quality even matters, they can't drive the topic forward. Building decarbonisation into procurement KPIs, supplier evaluations, and contract negotiations gives procurement both the mandate and the knowledge to act.
Example: The buyer at the juice manufacturer renegotiates the orange concentrate contract every year. If they can't explain why a cradle-to-gate PCF matters, or what a credible calculation actually looks like, the supplier won't take it seriously. If they can, and with PCF data as part of the supplier evaluation, they've got real leverage.
 

Case study: How Gebr. Heinemann engages their suppliers

Gebr. Heinemann, one of the world's leading travel retailers, has set SBTi-validated targets and already reduced its own scope 1 and scope 2 footprint by 50% since 2019. The next step is their supply chain: scope 3 makes up most of their total emissions.
Together with ClimatePartner, Heinemann developed a programme that lowers barriers and brings suppliers actively on board:

• Suppliers get training matched to their maturity level, with Heinemann covering the costs.
• Suppliers get preferential rates on PCF calculations through ClimatePartner.
• Suppliers choose their own calculation tool freely; only the aggregated PCF value is shared