This piece appeared in the Channel Race to Zero report, which looks at the emissions of the UK’s top resellers and MSPs and what they are doing to tackle them.
Download the Channel Race to Zero report here
How do you view the IT channel’s progress on decarbonisation and sustainability?
There has been significant progress made across the channel over the past few years; however there remains a lot more to do. Some organisations are way ahead of the rest and this imbalance will need to be addressed, as every vendor, distributor, reseller, ITAD and end user is inextricably linked.
Consider that if every company involved in IT could achieve net zero in Scope 1 and 2 there would be no Scope 3 emissions. Those businesses with the appetite and opportunity to progress are doing so. Those that are yet to act will simply become laggards. There is a wave of regulation on the way to enforce change and the single most significant across the EU and UK is the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Be such to read about this and what impact it will have on your business.
How can resellers and MSPs can get started?
This is simple: make a plan and become familiar with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, the global carbon accounting and reporting procedure on which all future regulation will be based. It is the “manual for success” providing the methodologies and processes necessary to enable you to measure your Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 and 3 (indirect) carbon footprint. From this you can develop a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP). My recommendation is to take internal control and seek the right support to embed this within your business.
Why should you do this?
Soon enough businesses will have no option but to consider sustainability. It is a business imperative and to not consider it is “business suicide”. The raft of new regulations coming forward and the increased spotlight and scoring in tenders should be enough to make you stop and think. Moreover, shouldn’t you be doing the right thing anyway independent of what governments are enforcing you to do? Across the EU we will also see Digital Product Passports (DPP) introduced and already the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is taking effect, ensuring that products have their life cycle environmental impact mapped and modelled.
What do you make of the furore around recent comments made by the Science Based Targets initiative’s CEO? Was he right to open the door to carbon offsets?
The SBTi board of trustees released plans to allow carbon credits in their net zero standard by permitting companies to use them to offset emissions from their Scope 3 supply chain emissions. As a result, employees at SBTi have called for their CEO to resign over fears that companies will use offsets instead of real actions and as a result “greenwash” the industry.
Further guidance is due soon and, in my opinion, this announcement is not unexpected. Offsetting and indeed “insetting” both have roles to play, and they shouldn’t be demonised as they are. There are very credible organisations out there soon enough I expect us to see detailed Scope 4 guidance that should help to demystify the problem.
Dr Stephen Finnegan
Dr Stephen Finnegan leads Arete Zero Carbon, a net zero consultancy that counts TD Synnex, Westcoast and Exertis among its clients
