Helping clients transition to primary data: A consultant’s guide to supplier engagement

One of the most effective ways for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint is to move away from industry averages and adopt primary data to calculate their emissions. For consultants, supporting clients in this transition is an opportunity to deliver more precise carbon accounting and provide actionable insights that drive meaningful climate action. However, making this shift often involves engaging suppliers — a step that can seem daunting without a clear strategy.

This guide explores how consultants can help clients move toward primary data by building an effective supplier engagement program, streamlining the process, and ensuring alignment with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol.

Why primary data matters

Primary data refers to emissions data collected directly from a specific source, such as a supplier’s own operations or products, rather than relying on generalized secondary data like industry averages or emissions factors. Using primary data provides clients with a much clearer picture of their carbon footprint, especially in Scope 3, where supplier emissions dominate.

Relying on primary data enables companies to:

1. Identify hotspots in their supply chain more accurately.
2. Develop targeted strategies to reduce emissions.
3. Enhance the credibility of sustainability reporting and disclosures.
4. Strengthen relationships with suppliers through collaboration.

As a consultant, guiding your clients toward this shift not only improves their emissions calculations but also positions them as proactive leaders in sustainability.

Challenges in collecting primary data

While the benefits of primary data are clear, collecting it can be challenging. Suppliers often have limited knowledge of carbon accounting, lack the resources to provide data, or may be reluctant to share sensitive information. Additionally, many suppliers operate in regions with limited infrastructure for emissions reporting.

Your role as a consultant is to help your clients navigate these barriers, build trust with suppliers, and implement efficient processes that make data collection feasible for all parties involved.

Building a supplier engagement strategy

Supplier engagement is the cornerstone of transitioning to primary data. An effective engagement strategy helps suppliers understand the importance of emissions data, builds buy-in, and streamlines the process for data collection. Here are the key steps to crafting a successful supplier engagement program:

1. Map and prioritize suppliers

Not all suppliers contribute equally to a company’s carbon footprint. Start by helping your client identify which suppliers are the most significant in terms of emissions. This process, often referred to as supply chain mapping, involves assessing suppliers’ roles, the scale of their operations, and the emissions intensity of their products or services.

Once suppliers are mapped, prioritize outreach to those with the largest carbon impact or the greatest influence over the supply chain. This ensures your client’s efforts are focused where they’ll make the most difference.

2. Educate and build awareness

A key challenge is that many suppliers are unaware of how their operations contribute to their clients’ carbon footprints. Consultants can help bridge this gap by equipping clients with materials that explain the importance of emissions data, its role in sustainability goals, and how it aligns with emerging regulations and market trends.

Work with your clients to create clear, concise, and supplier-friendly resources. These might include training sessions, webinars, or written guides that outline:

• What primary data is and why it matters.
• How suppliers can calculate their emissions.
• Tools and frameworks (like the GHG Protocol) that suppliers can use.

Fostering this understanding helps suppliers feel more empowered to engage in the process rather than seeing it as an added burden.

3. Provide tools and standardized processes

One of the most effective ways to ease supplier participation is by offering them the right tools and templates. Encourage your client to adopt digital platforms or data collection tools that make it easy for suppliers to report their emissions data. Standardizing the process is also key — by providing templates and clear guidelines, you reduce ambiguity and the likelihood of errors.

Platforms like Avarni, are transforming the way businesses approach Scope 3 data collection and supplier engagement, offering a streamlined and efficient solution to one of the most complex aspects of carbon accounting. Key benefits include:

• Standardized data requests: Clients can send customized, standardized templates to suppliers, ensuring clarity and relevance for their specific operations.
• User-friendly supplier tools: Suppliers are guided through the emissions reporting process with intuitive tools and clear instructions, even if they have no prior experience with carbon accounting.
• Real-time tracking: The platform allows businesses to monitor supplier participation rates and track data submissions in real time, identifying gaps or areas needing follow-up.
• Centralized dashboard: Avarni’s dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of supplier engagement efforts, highlighting progress and enabling data-driven decision-making.
• Automation features: Avarni reduces manual workloads by automating outreach and data collection processes, saving time and effort for both clients and their suppliers.
• Advanced analytics: The platform aggregates and analyzes supplier data, identifying emissions hotspots and supporting collaborative reduction strategies across the supply chain.
• Enhanced supplier collaboration: Suppliers gain insights into how their data contributes to sustainability goals, fostering stronger relationships and long-term engagement.
• GHG Protocol alignment: Avarni ensures that collected data is accurate and consistent with frameworks like the GHG Protocol, enhancing reporting credibility and compliance.

4. Offer incentives and build trust

Suppliers are more likely to engage when they feel there’s something in it for them. Help your clients design engagement strategies that emphasize shared value. For example, improving emissions transparency might help suppliers win more contracts or meet the sustainability criteria of other customers.

Building trust is equally important. Suppliers may hesitate to share data out of fear that it could be used against them (e.g., by exposing inefficiencies). Encourage your client to position this process as a partnership rather than an audit. Reassure suppliers that the data will be used to support mutual sustainability goals rather than penalize them.

5. Create feedback loops

Engagement doesn’t end once suppliers submit data. It’s essential to close the loop by providing feedback and showing suppliers how their data contributes to broader sustainability efforts. Consultants can guide clients on how to share aggregated results, identify progress areas, and highlight success stories within the supply chain.

By maintaining open communication and celebrating small wins, you reinforce the importance of supplier participation and encourage ongoing engagement.

Aligning with the GHG Protocol

Throughout this process, it’s essential to align with the GHG Protocol, which provides the leading framework for carbon accounting. The protocol emphasizes the importance of accurate data collection and includes guidelines for transitioning from secondary to primary data.

As a consultant, you can help clients align their data collection processes with the protocol’s standards, ensuring their reporting remains credible and consistent. Additionally, staying informed about updates to the GHG Protocol ensures your clients are prepared for evolving requirements, particularly as Scope 3 reporting becomes increasingly mandatory in many jurisdictions.

Summary

• Why Primary Data Matters: Transitioning to primary data enhances the accuracy of emissions reporting, particularly for Scope 3, and positions companies as sustainability leaders.
• Challenges in Collecting Primary Data: Barriers include supplier knowledge gaps, resource limitations, and concerns about data sensitivity.
• Building a Supplier Engagement Strategy: Consultants can support clients by mapping key suppliers, educating them about emissions, providing tools, fostering trust, and maintaining communication.
• Aligning with the GHG Protocol: Ensuring alignment with the protocol helps maintain credibility and prepares clients for evolving carbon reporting requirements.

Helping clients transition to primary data is about more than just improving carbon accounting. It’s an opportunity to strengthen supply chain relationships, drive collaborative action, and build resilience in the face of growing climate regulations. As a consultant, your expertise and guidance can make this shift a reality—empowering your clients to tackle their emissions with confidence.