Scope 3: Let's Turn the Pyramid Upside Down — From the PCF to a Low-Carbon Pathway

The 2026 deadline is here, and the 2028 deadline is fast approaching. The question is no longer whether to decarbonize your supply chain, but how to do so effectively without sacrificing your profit margin or losing suppliers along the way.

Scope 3 emissions—and more specifically, the procurement function—often account for the majority of a company’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, requiring a comprehensive carbon footprint assessment from all of its suppliers—particularly small and micro-enterprises—from the outset often proves to be a major obstacle that is costly and complex to implement.

During this webinar, organized jointly with our partners AGP and ObsAR, our experts Philippe Mangeard (President and Founder of Decarbo’Solution®) and Christopher Sanson (Executive Vice President) will share with you a unique approach and practical tools. They will be joined by Laurence de Castera and Anne-Laure from AGP, Nathalie Paillon from ObsAR, and the session will be enriched by a real-world testimonial from Majid Daki, Head of Sustainable Procurement at Auchan Retail.

The Limitations of the Traditional GHG Inventory Approach

Since 2022, regulations have required companies to take Scope 3 emissions seriously. However, the traditional approach of requesting a complete GHG inventory from each partner often feels like an insurmountable hurdle. This data is difficult to obtain, time-consuming for small suppliers, and interpreting it in isolation does not always allow for concrete action to be taken on the final carbon price of the purchased goods.

Turning the Pyramid Upside Down: The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) as a Lever

Rather than tackling the problem from the top down, the recommended approach is to “turn the pyramid upside down” by focusing first on the Product Carbon Footprint(PCF). Just as we ask the price of a pen rather than the manufacturer’s overall financial statements, the goal is to assess the carbon footprint of a specific product. This targeted and intuitive metric allows suppliers to take ownership of the key issues (materials, packaging, transportation) and initiate a virtuous cycle before shifting, in a second phase, toward a company-wide sustainability strategy.

The Auchan Retail Case Study: The Power of Co-Creation

To illustrate this step-by-step approach, Majid Daki discusses the strategy implemented at Auchan Retail, where the products sold account for nearly 97% of the carbon footprint. To get SMEs on board without rushing them, the retailer prioritized a collaborative approach. By making our My-PCF® tool available to a few volunteer suppliers, Auchan demonstrated through example that SMEs could easily embark on a decarbonization path, thereby paving the way for large-scale implementation.

An ecosystem of experts to ensure competitiveness

Reducing a company’s Scope 3 carbon footprint is also a major financial challenge, particularly with the rise of mechanisms such as the MACF and growing expectations in both the public and private sectors. With support from AGP Group experts and guidance from the ObsAR methodology, contracting authorities can establish a virtuous cycle. And to capitalize on this competitive edge in your own responses to requests for proposals, showcasing this data expertise through solutions like Decarbo’Tender® becomes a true differentiating advantage.

Watch this recording to learn how to take action, simplify data collection, and turn your suppliers into key players in your climate and economic resilience!

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