The new Responsible Business Report from the global technology distributor illustrates the company’s data-driven approach to achieving its sustainability targets.
The company’s Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – defined as those that it owns or controls either directly or indirectly – fell by 2.2 per cent to 3,276 tCO2e in the year ending 28 February 2023.
Scope 3 emissions – which are indirect emissions that occur in Westcon-Comstor’s supply chain – saw a 17.4 per cent year-on-year increase to 785,953 tCO2e.
The company said this increase is, in part, due to its a spend-based emissions calculations methodology. As such, the increase reflects the company’s 18.3 per cent revenue increase over the same period.
The new data from Westcon-Comstor also reveals that 54.5 per cent of its suppliers globally have set science-based emission reduction targets, against a target of 80 per cent by 2025.
Mark McLardie, head of ESG, Westcon-Comstor (pictured), explained, “The fact that 99 per cent of our overall emissions globally are within our supply chain shows the importance of collaborating with our vendors and partners as we work towards our long-term goal of achieving net zero as a business by 2050.
“We recognise the need to de-couple our business growth from emissions growth, which is why we are prioritising engagement with our vendors and partners, including improving the robustness of our supplier emissions data with a particular focus on their products.”
David Grant, CEO, Westcon-Comstor, added, “Reducing our carbon footprint and doing our bit to protect the planet is a key strategic focus for us as a responsible business, and these figures demonstrate the scale of the challenge we face in meeting the ambitious targets we’ve set ourselves.
“As well as dramatically reducing the carbon emissions that we own or control, we aim to leverage our position at the heart of the IT ecosystem to lead those around us into more sustainable practices as part of a shared journey to net zero.”