Driving decarbonisation across supply chains
The DIY sector faces a critical challenge in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with most of its footprint arising from Scope 3 emissions, particularly emissions from products sold to customers. While many organisations have made progress on direct emissions, addressing these upstream sources requires coordinated action across supply chains.
This Supplier Engagement Standard (the Standard), developed by Make It Zero, provides a unified framework for retailers and suppliers to collaborate on decarbonisation, for consistency, transparency and efficiency across the sector. The Standard is designed for voluntary adoption by members of Make It Zero and is applicable to sustainability, procurement, operations and leadership teams. Its primary focus is managing the emissions from Tier 1 suppliers, where organisations have direct commercial relationships. While centred on carbon reduction, the principles also offer a foundation for broader ESG engagement. The framework aligns with recognised methodologies such as the GHG Protocol, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and ISO standards, supporting compliance with emerging regulations like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
The priorities of the standard are to drive
Effective engagement - Customers and Suppliers want to engage meaningfully with each other.
Consistent Engagement - Customers and suppliers want to reduce the burden of providing data.
Collaborative engagement - Support where possible each others decarbonisation ambitions.
By prioritising high-impact suppliers and fostering collaboration, the Standard aims to accelerate emissions reductions, strengthen supplier relationships and improve data quality for Scope 3 reporting. Ultimately, this approach enables the DIY sector to take collective responsibility for its environmental impact and drive meaningful progress toward net zero.
