NET ZERO
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Customer conversations With Net Zero considerations growing in importance, it should be included by resellers in conversations with customers now. “Sustainability is almost certainly part of most customer conversations already for partners – and it will become increasingly important,” says Kevin Wragg. “As customers start to ask more questions and raise the bar, reseller partners will need to become more sustainable themselves and demonstrate that they have their own Net Zero targets and are moving towards them. “TD SYNNEX already offer Trade-ins on under which IT products – including printers and MFPs – can be taken back for recycling, or refurbishment and reuse. That’s increasingly popular. “More end user organisations will want to know the provenance of the product they are buying, where has it come from and how much carbon was created in the manufacturing process. They will want to know how much carbon the products will emit over their lifecycle.” He adds that he also expects to see customers looking to extend the lifespan of products. “They are pushing out the replacement cycle from the three years we have typically seen up to now to four or five years,” he says. “For some customers it may also be necessary to provide a certain ratio of recycled or refurbished equipment. In France, this is already happening with public sector tenders for IT asking for as much as one fifth of the products to be refurbished or repurposed products. This is being watched closely by other countries and it’s quite probable that it will be adopted more widely.” Kevin Patterson adds that resellers should be able to assure their clients that the suppliers they work with have Net Zero plans and initiatives that can benefit them. “Collaboration with upstream suppliers is very important,” he says. “We position our products and offerings to help clients achieve their environmental goals and our resellers can leverage those positions for their clients, too. It is also important for the resellers to have and share their own Net Zero plans to show strong commitment to emissions reduction.” It seems the time is now for resellers to start prioritising Net Zero, not just for the benefit of the climate, but also the bottom line, to ensure they don’t miss out on opportunities with customers.
Scope 2 concerns indirect emissions, such as the electricity a company buys to heat buildings. Scope 3 deals with emissions a company is indirectly responsible for in the value chain, such as buying products from suppliers or emissions produced by customers using those products. “When it comes to assessing their footprint, businesses will find it is easier to apply a strategy to reduce their Scopes 1 and 2,” says Kevin Wragg. “For Scope 3, they need an audit of their own supply chain – and will need to recognise that some of that will be out of their direct control. They will be reliant on their suppliers to reduce those emissions.” He adds that businesses should be considering Net Zero now. “If they aren’t, they will soon be left behind,” he says. “Most public sector tenders already feature Net Zero as a key criterion. Venture capital and private equity investors are insisting on it being a priority. Businesses that embrace Net Zero now and take effective action will have a competitive edge.” But Kevin Wragg admits that the Net Zero targets will take the industry working together to achieve. “It will take a lot of collaboration between different organisations in the IT supply chain to reduce Scope 3 emissions,” he says. “Businesses will need to make smarter and cleaner choices when they invest in IT. In the short-term that might cost them more, but by making that choice, they will be helping their own organisation and perhaps others as well, move towards Net Zero. They will see other benefits too – to their reputation, to morale and, ultimately, to their business.”
Kevin Wragg director, environment and quality compliance
uk.tdsynnex.com
For Scope 3, they need an audit of their own supply chain – and will need to recognise that some of that will be out of their direct control. They will be reliant on their suppliers to reduce those emissions. “
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