Cutting through Kellogg’s complex supply chain emissions

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Grain field
Challenge 

How can a global manufacturer measure and reduce the indirect emissions from its value chain? 

Across nearly every industry, most emissions occur within the value chain. Nonetheless, collecting and assessing this data isn’t easy. The more international and intricate a value chain is, the harder it can be to capture Scope 3 emissions data.  

As the world’s leading producer of cereals, Kellogg Company understands this challenge first-hand. Their foods, like Rice Krispies® and Frosted Flakes®, grace breakfast tables across the globe, requiring Kellogg to liaise with about 20,000 suppliers in multiple markets. 

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is part of Kellogg’s™ Better Days Promise environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, which aims to create better days for three billion people by the end of 2030. Recognising the opportunity of decarbonising its value chain, Kellogg sought to measure its value chain footprint. Doing so, will help the company track its progress on driving emissions down and spur further action. 

Solution 

Steering Kellogg’s climate action plan through an emission calculation tool  

To help Kellogg dissect its value chain emissions and identify areas where emission reductions have the most impact, we: 

Factory emissions

Completed a Scope 3 emissions inventory from 2015 to 2021, establishing the company’s emission baseline. The inventory showed that most of Kellogg’s value chain emissions lie within product’s ingredients and their packaging.

calculating footprint

Designed a bespoke Scope 3 calculation tool that enables Kellogg to quantify its footprint and identify emission hotspots.

Team training

Trained Kellogg’s sustainability team, so they could use the calculation tool, communicate findings and factor in the carbon footprint of their suppliers in procurement decisions. 

Impact 

Making carbon-informed supplier choices 

The calculation tool empowers Kellogg to go beyond simply measuring its footprint. Instead, it enables a concrete plan of action that will help Kellogg steer its climate strategy and strengthen its carbon data collection. It will enable Kellogg to:

Value chain

Dissect the environmental impact of its value chain and its importance in reducing Kellogg’s overall footprint.

Carbon accounting

Integrate carbon accounting into its procurement strategy and support dialogue on CDP reporting with suppliers.

Reporting

Identify areas to strengthen the data accuracy of its footprint.