Top 10 Ways Buyers Can Reduce Carbon Emissions

Buyers influence emissions long before a product reaches a checkout. A purchasing decision can shape material use, factory energy, packaging, and delivery miles. The challenge is knowing which choices make a measurable difference. Product labels help, but they rarely tell the whole story.

Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe has said, “The most important thing you can do to fight climate change is talk about it.” Buyers can turn that conversation into practical questions: How much energy went into production? Is the supplier’s emissions data independently verified? Can the item be repaired instead of replaced? These questions help reveal meaningful ways to reduce carbon emissions without relying on vague environmental claims.

This guide explores ten actions buyers can take, from choosing durable goods to consolidating shipments and favoring lower-carbon materials. A steel water bottle, for example, may travel farther than expected; its real impact depends on how it was made and how long it is used. That detail matters. So do electricity sources, product returns, and packaging that appears recyclable but has limited local facilities. Buyers will not always have complete data, and some comparisons remain imperfect. Still, asking for evidence and weighing a product’s full life cycle can lead to better-informed purchases. Small choices add up, though they are not a substitute for larger changes by manufacturers and suppliers.

Table of Contents [Hide]

1 Measure Scope 3: Supply-Chain Emissions Average 11.4× Operations (CDP)

2 Set Supplier Carbon-Disclosure, Target, and Contract Requirements

3 Choose Recycled Aluminum: It Uses About 95% Less Energy (IAI)

4 Specify Efficient Products: Buildings Cause 26% of Energy-Related Emissions (IEA)

5 Reduce Freight Emissions Through Consolidated Loads and Lower-Carbon Modes

Measure Scope 3: Supply-Chain Emissions Average 11.4× Operations (CDP)

Top 10 Ways Buyers Can Reduce Carbon Emissions

A buyer’s largest climate impact may sit outside the office. CDP’s 2021 Global Supply Chain Report estimated that suppliers’ emissions averaged 11.4 times a company’s direct operational emissions. The ratio is an average, not a rule for every sector. Still, it shows why measuring only fuel use and purchased electricity can miss the bigger picture.

Start with a Scope 3 inventory. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Scope 3 Standard divides value-chain emissions into 15 categories, including purchased goods, transport, and product use. Screen spending data first, then request supplier-specific figures for high-impact materials. A spreadsheet is a start. It is not the whole answer: spend-based estimates can hide differences between recycled steel and newly produced steel, for example. Record data sources, assumptions, and gaps so future estimates can improve.

Make measurement useful. Ask major suppliers for energy use, production volumes, and emissions per unit, then compare like with like. Prioritize a few practical changes, such as lower-carbon material specifications, fuller truckloads, or longer supplier contracts that support equipment upgrades. Set a baseline and track progress annually. Some figures will be rough. Say so plainly, and refine them as better data arrives.

Set Supplier Carbon-Disclosure, Target, and Contract Requirements

Supplier requirements should turn carbon data into a routine part of purchasing, not a once-a-year survey. CDP’s 2020 Global Supply Chain Report found that supply chain emissions averaged 11.4 times companies’ direct operational emissions. The comparison varies by sector, but it shows why buyers need visibility beyond their own facilities. Ask suppliers to disclose annual Scope 1 and 2 emissions, relevant Scope 3 categories, reporting boundaries, and calculation methods. Request activity data where possible, such as fuel use, electricity bills, or tonnes of material purchased. The GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard offers a consistent framework for those indirect emissions. Keep templates practical. Small suppliers may need time and guidance.

Put the expectations in contracts and renewals. Set a baseline year, an annual reporting date, and measurable reduction targets. Targets should cover the emissions sources most relevant to the supplier’s work, with progress reviewed against actual data. The Science Based Targets initiative’s criteria can help buyers assess whether targets align with climate science. Include a staged process: disclose first, agree on a target, then report progress. Specify how estimates and data changes should be explained. Add support, such as workshops or shared calculation tools, before making missed targets a penalty. The first reporting cycle may be messy. That is useful information, too. A clause that demands perfect numbers on day one can discourage honest disclosure; clear steps and follow-up make the requirement more workable.

Top 10 Ways Buyers Can Reduce Carbon Emissions

Set Supplier Carbon-Disclosure, Target, and Contract Requirements

These percentages summarize selected Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) criteria: companies must set a Scope 3 target when Scope 3 emissions exceed 40% of total emissions; near-term Scope 3 targets must cover at least 67% of Scope 3 emissions; long-term targets must cover at least 90%; and supplier-engagement targets must cover suppliers responsible for at least 67% of Scope 3 emissions, with the target achieved within five years. These are target-setting thresholds, not estimates of emissions reductions.

Source: SBTi Corporate Near-Term Criteria and Corporate Net-Zero Standard. Requirements may depend on the applicable version and company circumstances.

Choose Recycled Aluminum: It Uses About 95% Less Energy (IAI)

When comparing aluminum products, ask whether the material is recycled or made from newly mined ore. The International Aluminium Institute reports that recycling aluminum uses about 95% less energy than producing primary aluminum. That figure describes energy use, not a guaranteed 95% cut in emissions. Actual carbon savings depend on the electricity, transport, and processing involved.

For buyers, recycled content can make a practical difference in items such as window frames, cookware, and building components. Check product specifications for the percentage of recycled aluminum, and ask suppliers how they verify it. Small choice. If the information is vague, request documentation rather than relying on a broad “eco-friendly” claim. Recycled material still needs collection, sorting, and remelting, and poor local recovery systems can limit its benefits. Not perfect. A product’s lifespan matters too: durable aluminum that stays in use for decades may avoid replacement and additional material demand. Compare recycled content alongside durability, repair options, and end-of-life collection in your area.

Top 10 Ways Buyers Can Reduce Carbon Emissions — Choose Recycled Aluminum: It Uses About 95% Less Energy

No.	Purchasing Strategy	What Buyers Can Do	Carbon-Reduction Rationale	Useful Evidence to Request
1	Choose recycled aluminum	Specify recycled aluminum where it meets the product’s performance and safety requirements. Ask suppliers to document recycled content and its calculation method.	Recycling aluminum requires about 95% less energy than producing primary aluminum from bauxite. The resulting emissions reduction depends partly on the energy sources used in production.	Product-specific environmental product declaration (EPD), recycled-content documentation, and information on the accounting boundary.
2	Compare product carbon footprints	Compare functionally equivalent products using the same life-cycle stages, units, and reporting rules.	A consistent comparison can reveal differences in material production, manufacturing, transport, use, and end-of-life impacts.	Product carbon footprint or independently verified EPD with its declared unit, scope, and data period.
3	Prefer lower-carbon production energy	Ask suppliers for facility- or product-specific emissions data and information about the electricity used in production.	Electricity and heat generation can contribute substantially to manufacturing emissions; lower-emissions energy can reduce those impacts.	Facility energy data, emissions factors, and a clear explanation of whether electricity claims are location-based or market-based.
4	Buy durable, repairable products	Consider expected service life, repair options, replacement parts, and maintenance requirements—not just the initial purchase price.	Extending a product’s useful life can reduce the need to manufacture and purchase replacements, although the benefit depends on the product and how it is used.	Warranty terms, repair instructions, spare-parts availability, and product-life or durability test information.
5	Reuse products and components	Consider refurbished, remanufactured, or reusable products when they meet required specifications and have a suitable service life.	Keeping products and components in use can avoid some impacts associated with making new items. The outcome depends on refurbishment needs, transport, and remaining life.	Condition and service-life information, refurbishment details, and documentation of applicable safety or performance checks.
6	Reduce unnecessary packaging	Specify right-sized packaging and avoid excess material while maintaining product protection and applicable hygiene requirements.	Using less packaging can reduce material use and associated production and disposal impacts. Packaging must still prevent damage that could cause product loss.	Packaging material specifications, packaging weight per delivery unit, and damage or return-rate data where available.
7	Use reusable packaging where practical	Assess returnable containers or pallets for regular, predictable delivery routes and establish a workable collection system.	Reuse can reduce demand for single-use packaging when the packaging completes enough trips to offset its production, cleaning, and return transport.	Expected number of reuse cycles, loss and breakage rates, cleaning requirements, and return-transport arrangements.
8	Choose lower-emission freight options	Where delivery time and product needs allow, compare freight modes and avoid unnecessary air freight.	Transport emissions vary by mode, distance, vehicle or vessel, fuel, and load. Air freight generally has higher emissions per tonne-kilometer than sea freight.	Shipment distance, transport mode, shipment weight, load information, and a consistent freight-emissions calculation method.
9	Consolidate shipments	Coordinate orders and delivery schedules to improve vehicle utilization and reduce partially filled shipments where feasible.	Better load utilization can lower transport emissions per delivered unit, though the result depends on route planning and any added storage or handling.	Shipment frequency, vehicle or container utilization, delivery distance, and emissions per shipment or delivered unit.
10	Evaluate sourcing by lifecycle impact, not distance alone	Compare suppliers using production and transport data rather than assuming that the geographically nearest supplier has the lowest footprint.	Transport is only one part of a product’s footprint. Production methods, energy sources, materials, and delivery mode can outweigh differences in distance.	Comparable product-level emissions data, manufacturing location, transport route and mode, and documented calculation assumptions.

Note: The approximately 95% figure refers to energy use for recycled versus primary aluminum production; it does not mean that every recycled-aluminum product has 95% lower greenhouse-gas emissions. Actual results vary with material composition, production processes, electricity sources, transport, and the calculation boundary.

Specify Efficient Products: Buildings Cause 26% of Energy-Related Emissions (IEA)

Buildings account for 26% of energy-related emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. For buyers, that makes product specifications a climate decision, not merely a procurement detail. Ask for measured energy use under realistic conditions, not just a best-case efficiency rating. Small print matters. An efficient heat pump can still waste energy if it is oversized, poorly installed, or paired with leaky ducts. Request seasonal performance data, expected maintenance needs, and compatibility with existing building controls.

For lighting, compare lumens per watt and expected service life; for appliances, check annual consumption in kilowatt-hours. With windows and insulation, ask for tested thermal performance and clear installation requirements. Request product data sheets and independent test results where available.

Paper promises are easy. Compare estimated operating costs over the product’s lifespan, using local energy prices and realistic usage. That estimate will be imperfect, but it can still reveal costly trade-offs.

Specify commissioning, controls, and user training as part of the purchase; efficiency often depends on how systems are set up and used. Choose verified performance that fits the building, rather than paying for features occupants may never use.

Keep records of predicted and actual energy use after installation. Reality can disappoint. Review any gap and adjust schedules, settings, or maintenance before replacing equipment.

Reduce Freight Emissions Through Consolidated Loads and Lower-Carbon Modes

Freight emissions often grow when orders travel in small, rushed shipments. Buyers can reduce avoidable trips by coordinating purchase dates, delivery windows, and shipment sizes across suppliers. A few cartons may seem insignificant, but repeated partial loads add up. Small changes matter.

Ask suppliers to combine compatible orders into fuller loads, then check whether delivery schedules can accommodate the longer lead time. Consolidation works best when teams share forecasts and avoid last-minute changes. Still, a full truck is not automatically the lowest-carbon choice; detours, vehicle type, and waiting time also affect its impact. Some plans will need exceptions.

Where timing allows, compare road freight with rail or water transport, which can produce lower emissions for some routes and cargo types. Air freight may be necessary for urgent goods, but it is worth questioning whether every shipment truly needs that speed. Compare options using shipment weight, distance, load factor, and emissions data with clear boundaries. Data can be messy. Record assumptions, review results regularly, and adjust purchasing calendars when the figures reveal avoidable gaps. A useful target is steady improvement, not a perfect first calculation.