Collaboration and competition: Effective strategies organisations can employ when sharing and improving ESG best practices

A conversation between Deborah Johnson, Head of ESG at Agilitas and Lee Ellams, Head of Marketing at TIEVA

Partnerships are essential for growth in any industry. Without collaboration, organisations risk stagnation, the ability to offer fewer new developments to customers and ultimately being outpaced by larger, more competitive conglomerates. As sustainability continues to be a central focus, businesses are left wondering how best to tackle their operations and work towards Net Zero targets.

For many, collaborating through partnerships to develop ESG best practices is the optimal path forward. TIEVA, a leading provider of business IT solutions and services, believes that collaboration within the Channel is essential for achieving a greener future. The collective efforts of manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and clients can drive significant environmental improvements, and by sharing knowledge, resources, and strategies, the industry can create a more sustainable ecosystem.

With collaboration serving as the common theme, Agilitas’ Head of ESG Deborah Johnson and TIEVA’s Head of Marketing Lee Ellams sat down with Sustainability Voices to discuss the strategies and challenges involved in advancing ESG best practices.

What are the challenges of tracking Scope 3 emissions?

TIEVA: Sustainability, particularly Scope 3 emissions, presents significant challenges for both our clients and us. Scope 3 emissions, which include all indirect emissions that occur in the supply chain, can be extremely difficult to measure and manage due to their extensive and dispersed nature. Our clients often struggle with the lack of visibility and control over these emissions, especially when dealing with a large number of suppliers.

Similarly, for TIEVA, integrating sustainable practices across our entire supply chain is incredibly important, but still remains a complex task. There's a noticeable lack of standardisation across reporting and inconsistent use of metrics that are needed to accurately track progress and make informed decisions. This makes it a tricky task for businesses like ours to fully understand our impact and the steps we need to take to limit our impact.

Agilitas: We have just undertaken a huge project to create our first organisational carbon footprint across scopes 1, 2 & 3. TIEVA’s experience of data being dispersed was certainly a challenge we also came up against.

Data over the years has been collected in different systems and in different formats. Additionally, data is required from employees, suppliers and in some cases customers, and echoing Lee’s comments about the lack of standardisation, these have all been collected in different ways. Until more formal legislation is announced, it is going to be difficult to get everyone to record metrics in the same way that can then be more easily shared. However, by having conversations with key stakeholders, there are some quick wins that can be identified to make data collection and interpretation more accurate.

How will greater support from your supply chain help?

TIEVA: Greater support from our supply chain is crucial in our sustainability journey. When suppliers are committed to sustainable practices, it becomes easier for us to more accurately identify our total Scope 3 emissions, and therefore understand the steps needed to reduce them. Enhanced collaboration is a must and can lead to shared best practices, innovative solutions, and improved transparency.

For example, if our suppliers adopt green manufacturing processes and provide detailed sustainability data, we can integrate these into our own practices and offer more sustainable solutions to our clients. Moreover, joint efforts in sustainability initiatives, such as programs focused on supporting a circular economy, can lead to cost savings, improved efficiency, and a stronger market reputation for all parties involved.

Agilitas: We have also recognised that collaboration within the supply chain is key to driving meaningful change. Considering the complexity behind greenwashing and environmental legislation, maintaining constant communication and collaboration levels between all parties is crucial. The ESG information we provide will be used by our customers, their customers and so on, so it is important that we don’t only provide data and policies, but we back it up where required with context, so data and information isn’t misinterpreted as it moves through the supply chain.

How can your partners help?

TIEVA: Given that almost 80% of businesses will not be prepared for new EU ESG reporting standards entering circulation early next year, the importance of open collaboration and communication has never been more critical for business survival. We are particularly proud of our initiatives in circular economy practices. We have also been involved in programs for IT asset recovery, refurbishment, and recycling, which significantly reduce e-waste and extend the life cycle of a wide range of hardware and parts.

Additionally, we are exploring the use of AI technologies to enhance transparency and traceability in our supply chain. These innovations not only help us minimise our environmental impact but also provide our clients with more sustainable and cost-effective solutions.

Agilitas:

The circular economy piece that Lee mentions is really important and something that Agilitas have built our model on. When utilising a circular economy, companies are reusing and recycling kit, rather than purchasing new. When it comes to tech such as end user devices, approximately 80% of the carbon footprint of the product is in the manufacturing stage. By extending the life of tech, companies are making huge carbon reductions. However, we have found that it is much more complex to track the actual savings of the embedded carbon of products and so it can be difficult to clearly demonstrate just how effective a circular economy approach is. Our partners and particularly vendors can really help here by sharing as much data as possible. If there’s an area where something can be improved, streamlined or made more environmentally friendly, we should act and collaborate on a solution sooner rather than later.

How important is collaboration to success?

TIEVA: Collaboration within the channel is essential for achieving a greener future. The collective efforts of manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and clients can drive significant environmental improvements. By sharing knowledge, resources, and strategies, we can create a more sustainable ecosystem. Working together allows us to tackle large-scale challenges, such as reducing carbon footprints and promoting renewable energy, more effectively than any single entity could on its own. At TIEVA, we are committed to building partnerships that prioritise sustainability, believing that a united approach will lead to a healthier planet and a more resilient industry.

Agilitas:

When it comes to sustainability, one of my favourite sayings is to not let perfection prevent progress. There is this desire to want to present perfection to your customers but when it comes to ESG I believe it’s really important to be as honest and transparent as possible, sharing the good, the bad and the ugly!

For ESG purposes, partnerships, communication and healthy competition are of the utmost importance. Navigating best practices, understanding and adapting to new legislation and finding your feet in the market can be intimidating for firms with fewer resources dedicated to ESG initiatives. To avoid being swallowed up by highly-funded domineers in the market, smaller firms must collaborate with one another and strike ESG partnerships to improve and assist one another’s services, customer offerings and efficiencies.