9x more likely to hit your scope 3 targets: The supplier engagement advantage  

Article summary 

• Companies with structured supplier engagement programmes are 9x more likely to hit their Scope 3 targets, according to the EcoVadis x BCG Carbon Action Report 2025. 

• Only 1 in 3 companies currently engages suppliers on decarbonisation in any structured way. 

• 54% of procurement leaders cite Scope 3 management as a top-three strategic priority in 2026, per the EcoVadis Sustainable Procurement Barometer 2026 (produced with Accenture). 

• Unmanaged Scope 3 exposure could cost companies over $500 billion in annual liabilities by 2030. 

• CSDDD creates upstream obligations for suppliers to EU-regulated companies. Commercial pressure is already active ahead of the 2029 formal application. 

New data reveals a clear performance gap between procurement teams that engage suppliers on decarbonisation and those that delay. 

Supply chain emissions represent, on average, 21 times the volume of a company’s direct operations output. For most manufacturers, distributors, and consumer goods businesses, Scope 3 Category 1 (purchased goods and services) accounts for 40 to 70% of the total carbon footprint. The implication for procurement teams is direct: decarbonisation targets cannot be met by managing internal operations alone. 

The EcoVadis x BCG Carbon Action Report 2025, based on data from more than 133,000 carbon ratings across 83,000 companies worldwide, quantified the performance gap precisely. Companies with structured supplier engagement programmes are nine times more likely to hit their Scope 3 targets than those without. Yet only one in three companies currently engages suppliers on decarbonisation in any structured way. 

For a supply chain director managing customer EcoVadis thresholds, CSDDD compliance timelines, and internal net-zero commitments simultaneously, this data carries a clear operational message. Structured supplier engagement is the highest-leverage action available, and the majority of competitors have not yet taken it. 

What the 9x finding actually means 

The Carbon Action Report 2025, produced by EcoVadis and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and published in September 2025, draws on data from more than 133,000 carbon ratings across 83,000 companies worldwide. It is the most comprehensive dataset available on supply chain decarbonisation performance. 

The report identifies five levers that drive Scope 3 performance. Supplier engagement ranks first. Companies that actively partner with suppliers on ambition, measurement, and joint reduction activities outperform across all five metrics compared to those that do not. The multiplier is not marginal: nine times better performance separates those who engage from those who delay. 

The financial context reinforces the urgency. By 2030, unmanaged Scope 3 exposure could generate over $500 billion in annual liabilities globally, equivalent to 15 to 20% of EBIT for S&P 500 companies. The same report finds that up to 50% of supplier emissions can be abated at neutral or low cost, with returns of three to six times on investment. One-third of supply chain emissions can be cut for under €12 per tonne. 

The EcoVadis Sustainable Procurement Barometer 2026, produced with Accenture and published on 13 May 2026, reinforces this picture from the buyer side. Surveying more than 1,000 global multinationals and nearly 2,000 suppliers, it found that 54% of procurement leaders cite Scope 3 management as a top-three strategic priority today. Managing ESG risks and compliance has overtaken all other stated motivations as the primary driver of sustainable procurement programmes. The era of ambition is over. Execution is now the differentiator. 

Where procurement teams are getting stuck 

Despite the data, execution remains uneven. 30% of suppliers still provide no carbon emissions data whatsoever to their buyers. Only 48% of buying organisations have visibility into the ESG practices of the majority of their Tier 1 suppliers, and Tier 2 visibility drops sharply from there. 

Three failure modes stand out in practice. Sending the same long questionnaire to every supplier regardless of risk tier generates survey fatigue and low-quality responses. Setting minimum EcoVadis score thresholds without capacity-building support produces a compliance box tick without underlying improvement. Running engagement as an annual exercise rather than a continuous management process creates gaps that accumulate silently. 

The root cause is structural. Most procurement teams lack the internal capacity to engage dozens or hundreds of suppliers individually with personalised guidance on improvement priorities. For a practical guide on how supplier-side support connects to Scope 3 reduction commitments, see Nexio Projects’ guide on supply chain emissions and supplier engagement for net zero. 

For procurement teams also managing supplier risk alongside decarbonisation, the structured supplier due diligence programme, using EcoVadis IQ Plus or other implementation programmes, provides a contactless risk mapping layer that integrates directly with engagement prioritisation. 

 What a structured programme looks like 

A structured supplier engagement programme for Scope 3 reduction has three components: prioritisation, measurement, and improvement. 

• Prioritisation starts with emissions data. Category 1 (purchased goods) and Category 4 (upstream transportation) together represent the largest Scope 3 sources for most manufacturing and FMCG companies. Identifying which suppliers sit within high-emission categories — and cross-referencing that with spend volume and strategic importance — produces a prioritised engagement list. 

• Measurement means moving from spend-based emission estimates to primary data from suppliers. Spend-based estimates carry errors of 30 to 80% at the product level. Suppliers who provide primary activity data allow buyers to build credible GHG inventories that hold up under CSRD scrutiny and SBTi validation. Tools such as the EcoVadis Carbon Action Manager support this process at scale. 

• Improvement requires more than data collection. The Barometer 2026 makes this explicit: only 41% of suppliers say their large customers are highly committed and actively engaged on sustainability. An engagement programme that drives actual emissions reductions must pair performance expectations with support: targeted training, access to reduction resources, and commercial incentives tied to measurable progress. 

This is where EcoVadis supplier engagement for buying organisations delivers structural value. EcoVadis ratings provide a consistent performance baseline across all suppliers, enabling buyers to segment by tier, target capacity-building where it matters most, and track improvement year on year. 

The CSDDD dimension: Why timing matters 

CSDDD adds a compliance dimension that procurement teams cannot defer. The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive entered into force in 25 July 2025 and was amended by the EU Omnibus I Directive, which took effect in March 2026. Following those amendments, member state transposition has been extended to 26 July 2028, with phased application of due diligence obligations beginning 26 July 2029. 

The commercial pressure, however, is already active. Companies supplying to EU-regulated businesses are already receiving due diligence requests — for emissions data, human rights risk information, and corrective action evidence. Buyers with CSDDD obligations cascade those requirements upstream through contract terms, EcoVadis score thresholds, and Scope 3 data requests. A supplier that cannot provide verified emissions data, or that falls below a buyer’s minimum EcoVadis threshold, faces commercial consequences well before any formal regulatory deadline. 

For a full overview of how CSDDD obligations flow through the supply chain, see Navigating the CSDDD: What businesses need to know. For a grounding in Scope 3 emissions measurement and what categories matter most, Nexio Projects’ explainer covers the practical starting points. 

Supply chain directors building engagement capability now will have the data, the supplier relationships, and the documented improvement evidence ready when customers and regulators demand it. Those who wait will be building under pressure. 

The case for acting now 

The 9x figure from the Carbon Action Report 2025 is not a projection. It describes what is already happening across the companies in EcoVadis’ global network. The performance gap between structured and unstructured engagement is measurable today, and it widens with every year of inaction. 

For procurement teams, the operational path is clear: build the prioritisation framework, shift from spend-based to primary data collection, and pair performance expectations with supplier capability support. Design engagement as a management system with continuous improvement built in — not a one-off annual survey. The companies that act now will retain strategic contracts, meet CSDDD obligations with evidence in hand, and deliver on Scope 3 targets that the rest of the market is still postponing. 

Nexio Projects is an international sustainability consultancy guiding organisations from compliance to positive impact across supply chain due diligence, EcoVadis buying programmes, Scope 3 measurement, and supplier engagement programme design. Recognised as a top European sustainability consultancy by Consultancy EU and among the leading sustainability advisory firms by MT/Sprout’s SD400, Nexio Projects is here to help. 

As the number one global EcoVadis strategic partner with 600+ projects completed, 87% of clients improving their EcoVadis score, and an average improvement of 13.8 points since 2018, Nexio Projects brings proven operational expertise to every supplier engagement programme it designs. 

Book a free 30-minute supplier engagement scoping call with one of our procurement specialists. We will review your current supply base coverage, identify your highest-priority Scope 3 categories, and outline what a programme would look like for your sector. 

Book your scoping call 

FAQ 

What is a supplier engagement programme for Scope 3? 

A supplier engagement programme is a structured process through which a buying organisation identifies, measures, and works to reduce its supply chain (Scope 3) emissions in collaboration with its suppliers. It typically includes supplier prioritisation by emissions intensity and spend, primary carbon data collection, training and capacity-building, and defined improvement targets with consistent tracking. 

Why does supplier engagement matter for hitting Scope 3 targets? 

Scope 3 upstream emissions are, on average, 21 times larger than a company’s direct Scope 1 and 2 output. Reducing them requires active supplier collaboration: requesting and validating emissions data, setting minimum performance standards, providing improvement support, and tracking progress over time. 

What does CSDDD require from suppliers? 

The CSDDD creates due diligence obligations for EU-regulated companies, which cascade requirements upstream through supply chains. Formal application begins 26 July 2029 following member state transposition by 26 July 2028. Commercial requests from buyers are already active today. 

How do I prioritise which suppliers to engage first on Scope 3? 

Start with your highest Scope 3 categories by spend and emissions intensity — typically Category 1 (purchased goods) and Category 4 (upstream transportation) for manufacturing and FMCG businesses. Cross-reference with spend volume and strategic importance to produce a focused engagement list. 

What EcoVadis score should I require from my suppliers? 

The appropriate threshold depends on your customers’ requirements and your own sustainability commitments. Many large buyers currently set Silver (top 25%) as a minimum for strategic suppliers. Gold (top 5%) is increasingly common for Tier 1 suppliers with high emissions exposure. 

References: 

[1] EcoVadis and Boston Consulting Group. Scope 3: From Unmanaged Risk to Untapped Opportunity — Carbon Action Report 2025. https://resources.ecovadis.com/whitepapers/carbon-action-report-2025. September 2025. 

[2] EcoVadis and Accenture. Sustainable Procurement Barometer 2026: The Era of Execution Has Arrived. https://ecovadis.com/blog/sustainable-procurement-barometer-2026/. 13 May 2026. 

[3] McKinsey. Tackling Scope 3 Emissions Through Supplier Collaboration. [STAT NEEDED: verify most recent McKinsey source on Scope 3 data accuracy — search mckinsey.com for current 2025/2026 publication] 

[4] DLA Piper / EU Commission. CSDDD Omnibus I amendments. https://commission.europa.eu/topics/business-and-industry/doing-business-eu/sustainability-due-diligence-responsible-business/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en