Utilities operator

Our client is a major UK electricity distribution network operator with a service area spanning more than 30,000 square kilometres and serving nearly 19 million customers. Some details have been omitted due to potentially sensitive information.

The challenge: better supply chain data for more precise action

Our client has ambitious science-based targets which entail reducing their scope 3 emissions by  25% by 2028. To meet their objectives, they required a solution to help them engage suppliers effectively, improve data quality, and focus decarbonisation efforts where they would have the most impact.

They chose to work with Minimum to address these challenges. See below for a summary of some the benefits we’ve been able to unlock for them.

Enhanced supplier engagement

Our client used Minimum's data ingestion and collaboration & engagement features to streamline collaboration with over 150 of their suppliers, enabling them to collect information on their suppliers’ sustainability journey, as well as activity data associated with delivering their contracts to our client. Minimum’s implementation team provided hands-on support and subject matter expertise to design highly tailored supplier surveys - helping the client achieve an impressive response rate of over 90%.

Improved data quality

Minimum’s flexible data ingestion capabilities allowed the client to collect supplier data at varying levels of granularity according to availability - from pre-calculated cradle-to-gate product emissions to activity data covering individual materials and logistics routes.

Using Minimum’s calculation and auditability features, the client shifted from spend-based estimates to a more precise, activity-based approach. The improved data revealed that their previously reported supply chain emissions had been overestimated by 20% compared to their 2018/19 baseline.

Actionable insights

Powered by insights from Minimum’s robust carbon footprinting, the client was able to identify carbon-intensive suppliers and materials within their supply chain. The data revealed that aluminium used in network equipment - including transformers, switchgear, and cables - was a major contributor to emissions, second only to diesel consumption.

Driving change across the value chain

Our client identified its top 12 suppliers - accounting for 20% of their supply chain footprint - and worked closely with them to develop tailored carbon action plans. Through this collaboration, suppliers were encouraged to take meaningful steps forward in their sustainability journeys.

Minimum’s platform enabled the client to assess and rank the completeness and granularity of data provided, leading to measurable improvements in data quality over time. Suppliers also gained visibility into the categories and materials driving their own emissions — providing valuable insight into how they could actively partner with the client on decarbonisation initiatives.