How do you engage and collaborate with your suppliers and partners in LCA and carbon footprinting?

2 Identify and prioritize data sources

The next step is to identify and prioritize the data sources that you need to collect from your suppliers and partners. Depending on the scope and goal of your LCA or carbon footprinting, you may need primary data, secondary data, or a combination of both. Primary data are specific and measured data from your own operations or your direct suppliers and partners. Secondary data are generic and estimated data from databases, literature, or industry averages. Primary data are usually more accurate and relevant, but also more time-consuming and costly to obtain. Secondary data are usually more accessible and affordable, but also more uncertain and variable. You should prioritize the data sources that are most significant and influential for your LCA or carbon footprinting, and balance the trade-offs between data quality and availability.

3 Establish and maintain relationships

The third step is to establish and maintain relationships with your suppliers and partners who provide you with data. This involves building trust, mutual benefit, and transparency. You should explain why you need the data, how you will use it, and what benefits it will bring to your suppliers and partners. You should also respect their confidentiality, privacy, and intellectual property rights, and agree on the terms and conditions of data sharing. You should also communicate regularly, provide feedback, and acknowledge their contributions. By doing so, you can foster a collaborative and productive relationship with your suppliers and partners, and improve the quality and reliability of your data.

5 Share and discuss results

The fifth step is to share and discuss the results of your LCA or carbon footprinting with your suppliers and partners. This involves presenting the results in a clear, concise, and understandable way, using charts, graphs, tables, or infographics. You should also highlight the main findings, insights, and recommendations, and explain how they relate to your scope and goal. You should also invite your suppliers and partners to comment, question, or challenge your results, and address any feedback or concerns. You should also acknowledge the limitations and uncertainties of your LCA or carbon footprinting, and suggest areas for improvement or further research. By doing so, you can create a dialogue and a learning opportunity with your suppliers and partners, and enhance the relevance and usefulness of your LCA or carbon footprinting.

6 Collaborate on actions

The sixth step is to collaborate on actions based on the results of your LCA or carbon footprinting. This involves identifying and implementing opportunities to reduce the environmental impacts of your product, service, or system, along the life cycle stages. This may include improving the design, material selection, production efficiency, distribution logistics, use phase, or end-of-life treatment of your product, service, or system. You should also monitor and measure the outcomes and impacts of your actions, and report them to your stakeholders. You should also seek feedback and input from your suppliers and partners on how to further improve your performance and sustainability. By doing so, you can create value and innovation with your suppliers and partners, and demonstrate your commitment and leadership in LCA and carbon footprinting.