You’re ahead of the curve - now, turn reporting into action
Your responses suggest you’ve taken many of the right steps on Scope 3.1 - from setting strong targets to building reliable data foundations and engaging suppliers. That puts you well ahead of most businesses.
Now it’s about turning that progress into impact - using your data to identify the most effective reduction opportunities and implementing them in the most cost-efficient way.
Struggling to model reduction scenarios or implement reformulation strategies across sites? Foodsteps can help.
You've built solid foundations for Scope 3 reporting - now, strengthen them
You’ve made a strong start, but your responses suggest there’s room to improve - whether that’s tightening up your data, setting clearer targets, or going further with supplier engagement. These steps will bring you closer to best practice and make your reporting more useful for both compliance and reducing impact.
Key suggestions for improvement
Setting targets and aligning with key frameworks
You may already have goals in place - but aligning them with the SBTi and preparing for evolving frameworks like the CSRD will help ensure you stay ahead of future requirements. Third-party verification is also becoming increasingly important for credibility and audit readiness. If you haven’t pursued it yet, now is a good time to start.
Useful guide: Aligning Corporate Value Chains to Global Climate Goals (SBTi)
Improving data quality
You’re collecting some valuable data, but if you’re not yet using product masses for purchased goods, this should be a priority. Relying on spend data alone can skew results due to inflation, discounts, or supplier pricing differences. Volume-based or supplier-specific methods provide more stable, accurate calculations. See the Greenhouse Gas Protocol's technical guidance for Scope 3 for more detail.
Useful guide: Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions (Greenhouse Gas Protocol)
Deepening supplier engagement
If you’ve started gathering data from suppliers, you’re already ahead of many businesses. The next step is building a scalable, structured process - from prioritising high-impact suppliers to collecting product-level activity data. For practical steps, see the GHG Protocol’s supplier engagement guidance.
Useful guide: Supplier Engagement Guidance (Greenhouse Gas Protocol)
There’s work to do to improve your Scope 3 reporting
Your responses suggest you may have gaps in your targets, data, or supplier engagement. Closing these is key to staying compliant, meeting expectations, and reducing your emissions.
Key suggestions for improvement
Setting targets and aligning with key frameworks
If you haven’t set Scope 3 targets - or yours aren’t yet aligned with the SBTi - this is a crucial first step. Frameworks like the CSRD are raising the bar for data quality and increasingly require third-party verification. Even if CSRD doesn’t apply to your business yet, setting clear reduction goals and verifying your data builds trust with customers, investors, and regulators - and prepares you for future reporting requirements.
Useful guide: Aligning Corporate Value Chains to Global Climate Goals (SBTi)
Improving data quality
If you're missing product-level data or relying on spend-based methods, your Scope 3.1 calculations may be inaccurate. Start by building a detailed inventory of purchased goods with product masses - this lays the foundation for using more accurate, volume- or supplier-specific methodologies, as encouraged by CSRD and SBTi. Keep your data updated regularly, and run hotspot analyses to focus efforts where they’ll have the most impact. Tools like Foodsteps can help estimate volumes and fill data gaps.
Useful guide: Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions (Greenhouse Gas Protocol)
Enhancing supplier engagement
Supplier engagement is often the toughest - but most critical - part of Scope 3.1 reporting. Start by screening suppliers using available spend or volume data to identify the biggest contributors to your footprint. Build an internal plan: assign roles, prep tools, and prioritise a mix of high-emitting and high-influence suppliers. From there, engage a strategic sample to collect product-level activity data. Over time, aim to benchmark supplier performance, align on reduction goals, and track progress together.
Useful guide: Supplier Engagement Guidance (Greenhouse Gas Protocol)