SUPPLIER DECARBONIZATION
Evaluate supplier decarbonization options with clear assumptions
Compare potential sourcing, material, and logistics changes against a documented Scope 3 baseline — with assumptions, costs, and feasibility constraints stated explicitly, not implied.
The intended path
From a data hotspot to a reviewed decision
This is the workflow OCEANS™ Sustainability is designed around. Each stage below states plainly what a person does and what still requires review — nothing here is presented as automated decision-making.
- 01
Hotspot
A category or supplier where emissions are concentrated, identified from the existing Scope 3 inventory.
- 02
Proposed change
A specific, concrete change under consideration — a material, a supplier, a freight mode, or a waste reduction.
- 03
Comparable scenario
Baseline and alternative compared on consistent quantities, functional units, and time periods — not a rough guess.
- 04
Review
A person checks the assumptions, factor sources, and feasibility constraints before the comparison is used for anything.
- 05
Action owner
A named person or team responsible for pursuing the change, if it is pursued at all.
- 06
Follow-up
A documented point to revisit the scenario once real data — a new quote, a new factor, a supplier response — becomes available.
Relevant examples
The kinds of changes worth comparing
Material composition
Comparing a current material against an alternative with a different emissions intensity, at matching functional performance.
Material waste
Comparing current scrap or waste rates against a reduction target, on the same production volume and period.
Freight mode
Comparing current transportation mode and route against an alternative, on the same shipped quantity and distance basis.
Alternative supplier
Comparing a current supplier against a prospective one, only where boundaries, allocation, and reporting periods are compatible enough to compare.
Any comparison should hold constant
Scenario structure
What a scenario must distinguish
- Baseline and alternative emissions, shown separately
- Estimated cost differences on a consistent period and quantity basis
- Implementation costs, where applicable
- Factor and price sources
- Data gaps and sensitivity to assumptions
- Feasibility constraints — supplier qualification, lead times, material specifications
A potential reduction shown in a scenario is not the same as a measured, achieved reduction. Reported-emissions changes caused by a spend shift, a factor update, or improved data quality do not, by themselves, prove a physical change occurred.
Worked example
A hypothetical material-substitution scenario
Baseline
- Material
- Virgin aluminum extrusion
- Quantity
- 18,400 kg / year
- Factor
- 8.5 kg CO₂e / kg (illustrative)
156.4 tCO₂e / year
Alternative
- Material
- 30% recycled-content aluminum extrusion
- Quantity
- 18,400 kg / year (same functional volume)
- Factor
- 6.2 kg CO₂e / kg (illustrative)
114.1 tCO₂e / year
Difference: 42.3 tCO₂e / year lower, on paper, before supplier qualification, price, and lead-time review. The factor values above are illustrative assumptions, not a claim about a specific licensed factor database — verify the arithmetic yourself: 18,400 × 8.5 = 156,400 kg; 18,400 × 6.2 = 114,080 kg. This comparison omits price, lead time, and supplier-qualification review, which would still need to happen before any sourcing decision.
Frequently asked questions
Where to go next
Current availability
OCEANS™ Sustainability is in active product development. Access is currently limited to founding design partners — the workflow, screens, and outcomes described on this page are the design in progress, and any product screens shown are an illustrative preview of planned functionality. Guides, checklists, and the calculator elsewhere on this site are real and available now. Apply as a founding design partner to help test and shape this workflow as it is built.
Compare your next sourcing decision on documented assumptions
Tell us about a category or supplier where you're weighing a change. We'll use the conversation to determine whether OCEANS™ Sustainability is a useful fit.