1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders

Driving climate action throughout global supply chains

About the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders

The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders work together to drive climate action throughout global supply chains, and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the SME Climate Hub. Recognizing the importance of engaging and empowering suppliers, they are committed to halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The initiative was founded by the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, in 2020, together with Ericsson, Inter IKEA Group, Telia Company, BT Group and Unilever, and is supported by the United Nations’ Race to Zero and the We Mean Business Coalition.

How the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders work

To drive the decarbonization of global supply chains, the group collaborates through regular knowledge-sharing sessions and workshops, focusing on best practices for supplier engagement, KPIs, materials, transportation, and renewable energy.

Insights from these efforts are applied within their own supplier networks and shared more broadly through collaborative resources and global climate and business forums.

About the Supplier Engagement Guide

The Supplier Engagement Guide, created by BSR, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative and the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders, provides practical guidance that any company can utilise in working with suppliers to set and implement a 1.5°C aligned target and move to action. This is also an approach that suppliers can cascade across their supply chain.

The 1.5°C Supplier Engagement Guide suggests a structure to harmonise buyers’ requirements and simplify supplier engagement on climate. It provides leading examples derived from the experiences of the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders, as well as other leading practices and frameworks for supplier engagement, and is aligned with the Exponential Business Playbook.

Testimonials

The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders is an amazing leadership group within the Race to Zero. A group of 13 large corporations are actively engaging their supply chains on climate targets and climate performance, and are supporting SMEs through tools and resources. Exponential Roadmap Initiative and SME Climate Hub are key Race to Zero Partners in highlighting the importance of supply chain engagement.

Nigar Arpadarai

UN Climate Change High-Level Champion

We align with our corresponding Science Based Targets by supporting the 1.5°C Business Playbook and becoming part of the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders. We are taking action now for the generations to come. We hope that many more companies will use the Playbook to halve their emissions before 2030 in the Race To Zero.

Martin Andersen

Global Head of ESG, Scan Global Logistics

The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders demonstrate the vital role that multinationals can play in accelerating climate action across their value chain by supporting and encouraging their suppliers to align with 1.5°C targets. Given the amount of suppliers multinational companies have, and with their huge purchasing value, this will be an exciting turning point – and we look forward to seeing exponential growth in corporate net zero commitments as we work towards COP26.

Nigel Topping,

UK High Level Climate Action Champion for COP26

Working together with suppliers is an absolute necessity for large corporations with net-zero ambitions. As 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders we look to develop concrete tools, help remove blockers and provide the resources required to support suppliers, working together to achieve our common targets.

Johan Falk

Co-founder and Head of Exponential Roadmap Initiative

IKEA is committed to working closely together with our supply chain partners to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from production by 80% by 2030. We are proud to be a 1.5°C Supply Chain Leader and to contribute to facilitating the climate journey for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We will not be able to limit climate change by working alone. Only by working together will we show that it is possible.

Henrik Elm

Global Operations Manager, IKEA

To help us become a net-zero emissions business by 2045, we’re asking our suppliers to commit to climate action and we’re working with them to substantially reduce their carbon emissions by 2030. At BT, over two-thirds of our end-to-end carbon emissions come from our supply chain, and by working together, we’ll be able to curb emissions and help pave the way for others to follow.

Cyril Pourrat, Chief Procurement Officer

BT Group

To be able to reach the goals set in the Paris agreement, we need to both create circular material flows and reduce carbon emissions. Ragn-Sells are committed to be a driving force in transforming society from a linear to a circular economy, and we commit ourselves to actively work with our value circle in order to: 1) Reduce carbon emission up- and downstream in the value circle with at least 50% by 2030, 2) Develop circular solutions in collaboration with business partners and society, 3) Create a market for circular materials with procurement as an enabler.

Vidar Svenning Olsen & Magnus Uvhagen

Ragn-sells Group Executive Leadership Team sponsors

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C, in line with the Paris Agreement, is essential for a sustainable and resilient future. Transforming value chains through significant supply chain emission reductions is a key step toward this goal. Cross-industry collaboration and initiatives like the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leader are critical in accelerating progress, driving innovation, and supporting the mission to halve supply chain emissions by 2030.

Louise Rehbinder

Director, Exponential Roadmap Initiative

The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders have made the following commitment:

As 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders, we are committed to accelerating practical climate action across global value chains in line with the 1.5°C ambition. As part of the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, we work to turn company commitments into implementation and impact.

We drive stronger supply chain climate performance by sharing insights, collaborating across sectors, and advancing solutions in areas such as supplier engagement, renewable energy, low‑carbon transport and circularity.

We amplify proven approaches and highlight leadership by showcasing successful solutions, elevating achievements, and convening peers and partners at major climate events.

We support suppliers of all sizes, including SMEs, by promoting accessible tools and best practices such as those available through the SME Climate Hub.

Together, we aim to accelerate the global shift from climate commitments to meaningful action, demonstrating what leadership looks like in transforming supply chains for a net‑zero future.

Latest news

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At London Climate Action Week, the session Supplier Engagement: What’s Worked, What Hasn’t highlighted both the complexity and the opportunity of supplier engagement in tackling Scope 3 emissions.

New data shows strong progress on Scope 3 among 1.5°c Supply Chain Leaders

25 Jun 2025

A new analysis of 2024 data reveals that 88% of companies in the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders (SCL) initiative with comprehensive Scope 3 reporting – seven out of eight assessed – are on track to meet their near-term emissions reduction targets.