How can sustainability professionals and procurement leaders come together to accelerate emissions reduction in global supply chains? That was the focus of our recent webinar, featuring expert panelists from SPS Commerce, onsemi, and Optera.
Together, we explored how cross-functional collaboration, clear metrics, and strategic supplier engagement can unlock powerful decarbonization outcomes while delivering clear business value. In this post, we’ll share practical takeaways to help you break down silos and build a supplier sustainability program within your own organization.
Panelists:
- Catherine Ceresa, Senior Manager, Supply Chain Sustainability at onsemi
- Maayan Kaplan, Senior Director of Customer Success at SPS Commerce
- Ty Colman, Co-founder & Chief Revenue Officer at Optera
Why supply chain emissions are essential
“Scope three is a mechanism of influence; we have more control over our scope one and two emissions, but scope three offers greater impact and wider reach.”
— Catherine Ceresa, onsemi
If your company is committed to reducing emissions, the supply chain can be your biggest challenge—and your biggest opportunity. Supply chain emissions (Scope 3, Category 1) often account for the majority of a company’s carbon footprint.
To make progress, it’s essential to partner closely with your procurement team. As Ceresa noted, procurement holds the key to supplier relationships and can be a powerful force in driving sustainability outcomes. Start by aligning sustainability objectives with procurement’s workflows and building a shared understanding of your emissions reduction goals.
Mapping to Procurement’s top priorities
“Building strong supplier relationships is about more than risk mitigation — it’s about creating proactive, collaborative environments.”
— Maayan Kaplan, SPS Commerce
When making the business case to collaborate with procurement teams, it helps to understand their primary business objectives. Kaplan outlined three key concerns for supply chain leaders:
- Supplier relationship management & resilience
- Cost optimization & efficiency
- Sustainability & compliance
To make the case for building a joint program, work on integrating sustainability into these existing priorities. For example, highlight how emissions reductions can improve supplier resilience, unlock cost efficiencies within the suppliers’ business, and lead to better cost predictability.
Tip: Don’t just ask suppliers for data. Offer resources, incentives, or recognition that motivate them to act. Remember that supplier engagement is a relationship, not just a reporting exercise. Ceresa and Kaplan emphasized that building trust with suppliers and focusing on shared value are key to long-term progress.
Best practices for getting started
“There’s no such thing as perfect data. Great supply chain sustainability programs are built incrementally over time.”
— Ty Colman, Optera
If you’re just beginning your supplier environmental engagement journey—or looking to improve your existing program—here are a few actionable recommendations:
- Start with data. Identify which suppliers contribute most to your footprint. Focus on collecting verified emissions data from them first.
- Align on metrics. Define a core set of KPIs and make expectations clear through scorecards or vendor guides.
- Take a phased approach. Don’t try to roll out everything at once. Pilot your approach with a small group, then scale.
- Build engagement over time. Aim to shift focus from data collection to action planning and collaboration.
- Lead with empathy and influence. As Ceresa advised, act as a student first—listen to understand your suppliers’ challenges and help them grow.
The bottom line
“As sustainability professionals, we first need to be educators, then influencers, and finally authorities—building trust and understanding at each step.”
— Catherine Ceresa, onsemi
Building a sustainable supply chain is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. It takes patience, cross-functional alignment, and a strong commitment to continuous improvement. But by taking smart, strategic steps—grounded in data and collaboration—you can turn your supply chain into a driver of climate impact and business value.
Need help getting started? Our team at Optera is here to support you. View the full panel discussion, or reach out to us directly to talk about how we can help you scale your supplier engagement strategy.
