Implementing corporate Net Zero targets
Value chain or "Scope 3" emissions are often the largest source of corporate carbon footprints, yet to date they have been the lowest area of focus for most companies. Many have not taken direct action in value chains due to a number of barriers, including a lack of guidance on how to account for the reductions from investments in their supply chains.
ValueChange is where ambitious companies and civil society come together to innovate and define best practice on reducing value chain emissions. Guidance for designing, implementing and accounting for the impact of value chain Interventions is co-created with companies and tested in context of their own business. This provides a feedback channel for new iterations, offers participating companies capacity building and support in applying the guidance, and leads to development of context-specific applications and case studies that solve the real-world challenges they encounter in these complex environments.
FOUNDING PARTNERS
ONGOING WORKSTREAMS
Accounting Labs: How to account for impact given dynamic sourcing and data scarcity
Landscapes benefit greatly from collective action, yet can disparate value chain actors collectively invest in Scope 3 emission reductions at scale and credibly account for the impact achieved? What about monetisation of impact through carbon credits or other instruments? The Accounting Labs are defining the conditions and principles for a Scope 3 market-based accounting approach.
PARTICIPANTS
Claims Labs: What can be credibly claimed up and down the chain
Carbon Neutral, Climate Neutral, Net Zero, Climate Positive: How do we identify when double counting or double claiming poses a real threat to environmental integrity, or when this represents appropriate attribution and benefit sharing? The Claims Labs are establishing guiding principles and conditions of an integrated claims framework.
PARTICIPANTS
Low-carbon commodities: ISEAL Code Compliant standards collaboration to verify lower emissions factors for Purchased Goods & Services
Can we make it easier for corporates to report on the positive climate impacts of the use of certified, sustainably produced products? ISEAL community members are collaborating to define common practices to quantify carbon emission reductions in their certified commodities in a way that corporate purchasers can report against their Science Based Targets or other climate performance objectives.
In doing so, participants to this programme hope to create demand for certified commodities at a landscape level, catalysing sustainability action and investment
This programme is made possible thanks to a grant from the ISEAL Innovations Fund, which is supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.
Future Workstreams
Transport Programme
The shared nature of global freight networks means carriers, forwarders, shippers and users need to act and invest collectively to reduce transport-related Scope 3 emissions. But how can each of these actors report and be recognized for the “shared value” created by joint investments into transport related interventions? The transport programme aims to co-create guidance and credible pathways to quantify, verify and be recognised for transport-related Scope 3 emission reductions.
Pulp & Paper Working Group
Research shows that by 2050 the consumption of paper will double. With the pressure to substitute plastic for paper, this number could grow even higher. While, more than 20 companies already publicly committed to set emissions reduction targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), determining how to take direct action has been complicated by number of barriers; ranging from uncertainty about who is responsible for these indirect emissions, having limited access to supplier emissions data, to a lack of guidance on how to account for reductions achieved from direct investments.
Working Group participants will test the applicability of the Value Change Guidance documents and concepts in the context of forest / pulp & paper value chain, providing vital feedback on guidance adjustments that may be required to reflect the realities of their sector. Application of the supply shed concept, treatment of removals or extensions to landscape level claims are topics expected to be explored.
Past Workstreams
Purchased Goods & Services Programme
This group co-founded and ran the first Programme, developing the guidance’s first iteration and ensuring value chain interventions are recognized and included in reporting towards performance targets.
PERIOD OF ACTIVITY
2017-2020
PARTICIPANTS
Food & Agriculture Working Group
This working group ran twice and tested the applicability of the Value Chain Interventions Guidance within the agricultural sector. Feedback and inputs from participants is included in the latest version of the guidance.
PERIOD OF ACTIVITY
2018 - 2019
PARTICIPANTS
Coop, Hershey’s, General Mills, McDonald’s, Danone, Ben & Jerry’s, Cargill, Mars, Kellog’s, Nespresso, Adisseo, Nutrien, Syngenta, Veolia, Nestle, Bayer, Barry Callebaut, L’Oreal
Apparel Working Group
This working group continued testing the guidance in the context of the textiles industry alongside leading apparel companies with significant scope 3 commitments. Feedback and inputs from participants is included in the latest version of the guidance.
ACTIVITY PERIOD
July 2018- October 2020
PARTICIPANTS
Nike, Levi’s, Target, VF Corp, C&A, H&M, Patagonia, Kering, Arc’Terix South Pole, WSP, Aligned Incentives, WRI
Double Counting Lab
Participants deep dived on double counting, informing the Value Chain guidance’s position and recommendations on the topic. Their contributions are reflected in the latest version of the guidance.
PERIOD OF ACTIVITY
February - May 2020
PARTICIPANTS
Danone, Mars, PepsiCo, Hershey, South Pole, Quantis
Emission Factor Tracking System Lab
In this lab, participant provided the basic requirements and features required to prototype an Impact Factor Tracking Mechanism.
PERIOD OF ACTIVITY
February – September 2020
PARTICIPANTS
WWF, Cargill, McDonalds, General Mills, PepsiCo, Danone, Mars, Barry Callebaut, Field to Market, Quantis, Viresco Solutions, South Pole, Higg, ESMC
Higg
ESMC
Use of Products Sold Lab
copy to be provided by DINO
ACTIVITY PERIOD
July 2018- October 2020
PARTICIPANTS
Case Studies
CASE STUDIES
ValueChange case study:
Carbon positive by 2025 makes business sense
Barry Callebaut’s ‘Forever Chocolate’ programme plans to make sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025. Read this case study to see how the world’s leading chocolate supplier is helping to ensure future supplies of cocoa, providing measurable climate benefits and improving productivity and farmer livelihoods.
(View the Case study by clicking on the image below)
ValueChange case study:
Mars' soil-smart wheat chain
Mars, Gold Standard and Sustainable Food Lab are helping Australian farmers measure and reduce net greenhouse gas emissions from wheat. Read this case study to find out how this initiative has improved soil health, created greater resilience to weather shocks, produced higher yields and reduced net GHG emissions.
(View the Case study by clicking on the image below)
Get involved
For any questions about the programme, existing or future working groups, or the pilot programme, please send an email to platform@goldstandard.org
