July2024SustainabilityPracticeRetailers’climateroadmap:ChartingpathstodecarbonizedvaluechainsMostemissionscapturedintheaverageretailer’sScope3metricaregeneratedviaproductvaluechains.Thesevaluechainscanbedecarbonized—butonlywithtargetedmultistakeholderactions.ContentsAcknowledgmentsExecutivesummaryRetailers’Scope3:AcomplexarrayofvaluechainemissionsRetailerchallengesinfocus:DelineatingScope3emissionsinthreevaluechainsNear-termopportunitiesforretailers:ReducingemissionsacrossvaluechainsCatalyzingbroaderdecarbonization:StrategiesandconsiderationsforretailersAppendixii114193240631234iRetailers’climateroadmap:ChartingpathstodecarbonizedvaluechainsAcknowledgmentsTheresearchforthisreportwasledbyPeterSpiller,apartnerinMcKinsey’sFrankfurtoffice,andSteveHoffman,apartnerintheLosAngelesoffice,withCarolineLing,aconsultantintheNewYorkCityoffice;PhilippeDiez,aseniorclientdevelopmentadviserintheParisoffice;andVarunMathur,anassociatepartnerintheAustinoffice.TheyweresupportedinthisbyKarlMurray,MekalaKrishnan,MiquelFerrer,NehaChatterjee,OlorunyomiJoel,andPer-AndersEnkvist—withoutwhomthisreportwouldnothavebeenpossible.Thisreportisindependent,reflectstheviewsoftheauthors,andhasnotbeencommissionedorinfluencedbyanybusiness,government,orotherinstitution.Wegratefullyacknowledgetheexpertise,insights,andfeedbackprovidedbythefollowingindividuals:Wealsogratefullyacknowledgethefollowingindividualsandorganizationsfortheirinvaluablecontributions:NameOrganizationAngéliqueDiarraCarrefourCarineKrausCarrefourKathleenMcLaughlinWalmartAmanSinghWalmartBertrandSwiderskiCarrefourRonaldVoglewedeWalmartNameOrganizationChristopherAdamoDanoneJimAndrewsPepsiCoPankajBhatiaWorldResourcesInstituteKateBrandtGoogleChrisCassellLowe’sStephanieCouchTysonFoodsJuanFacundoEtchebehereDanoneSimonFischweicherCDPWorldwideJonathanFoleyProjectDrawdownAlexanderFrantzenWorldResourcesInstituteThomasLingardUnileverMaríaMendiluceWeMeanBusinessCoalitionKatherinePickusTysonFoodsElizabethSturckenEnvironmentalDefenseFundn/aWorldWildlifeFundiiRetailers’climateroadmap:ChartingpathstodecarbonizedvaluechainsAscompaniesinallsectorsworktoshrinktheircarbonfootprintsandhittheirdecarbonizationtargets,thepathtoreducingScope3emissionsisoftenanythingbutstraightforward.Forsome,decarbonizingScope3emissionscanbemorelikenavigatingaparticularlybyzantinemaze.Suchisthecaseforretailers.Fortheaverageretailer,Scope3metricscaptureemissionsgeneratedupstreamanddownstreamwithinthevaluechainsofeverySKUitsells—numerous,disparate,andsometimeshighlyfragmentedvaluechainswithmultipletiersofsuppliersandinputs.Andtheemissionsgeneratedwithinthislabyrinthofvaluechainsspansixenergyandland-usesystems:agricultureandforestry,building,industry,mobility,power,andwaste(ExhibitE1).Scope3emissionsare,bydefinition,indirectgreenhousegas(GHG)emissionsthataregeneratedwithinacompany’svaluechain;unlikeScope1andExecutivesummaryExhibitE1Aretailer’sScope3metricencompassesemissionsgeneratedbymanyindustries.Note:Gasolineretailwasnotincludedincalculations.Figuresmaynotsumto100%,becauseofrounding.1Aggregateandsectoremissionswereconsideredonaregionalbasisratherthanonacompany-by-companybasis,anddoublecountingwasavoided.Source:“Climatechange,”Walmart,updatedDecember15,2023;“Globalgreenhousegasoverview,”UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency,updatedApril11,2024;“Thenet-zerotransit...