BT has introduced a climate change standard designed to cut carbon emissions across its entire supply chain.
This follows a similar move by retail giant Tesco, which last month announced plans to cut the carbon footprint of its supply chain by 30 per cent over the next ten years.
While most companies are currently working to reduce their own carbon footprint, BT is one of the first to extend its focus to the supply chain.
Last year, BT spent £12 billion with thousands of suppliers so this will have a major impact in the UK and abroad.
The standard encourages suppliers to use energy efficiently to reduce emissions during the production, delivery, use and disposal of products and services supplied to BT.
The standard will include three minimum expectations to be undertaken by all contracted suppliers:
*The supplier must have a policy to address the challenge of climate change;
*The supplier must actively measure and report carbon, as well as other relevant green house gas emissions.
*The supplier must set challenging targets to reduce emissions and report on progress.
Suppliers are required to complete the BT Climate Change Questionnaire to assess their performace and identify areas for improvement.
BT says this focus on improvement is supported by a range of initiatives. “For example; procurement awards of business may include specific improvement requirements i.e. suppliers are expected to have targets to reduce GHGs/carbon emissions by at least 10 per cent over 3 years or to demonstrate that they have already achieved this and are working to more challenging targets.”
BT, in collaboration with the Carbon Trust, has been holding workshops to share best practice with suppliers.
Hugh Jones, managing director of Carbon Trust Advisory Services, said: “BT’s procurement guidelines go a long way to helping suppliers take ownership of the measurement and reduction of carbon emissions during their ‘custody’ of BT products and services.”
What do you think about this move? You can tell us on the Supply Chain Standard Linked In discussion page.
