THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC
“ AT THE END OF THE DAY , SCOPE 3 IS MADE UP OF EVERYBODY ELSE ’ S SCOPE 1 AND 2 ”
MATTHEW YAMATIN SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM DIRECTOR , THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC
“ We spent the first year or so starting to track our Scope 3 emissions to gain insights into our most significant relationships and how we can think differently about them , not just in terms of spend , but also in terms of how they contribute to our emissions profile ,” Alyssa says .
Like many other companies , Thermo Fisher uses carbon accounting as a guide to understand and segment its supply chain .
“ We need to understand their current climate literacy ,” Alyssa continues . “ That was the next step in the process – to get out into that supply base , have meaningful conversations , collect information and meet suppliers where they are . It is incredibly important for us to understand their challenges when we make these kinds of asks of them or bring these kinds of requirements into the marketplace .”
Within the complex network of suppliers , partners , customers and distributors , there are instances where companies are ahead of Thermo Fisher , in which case Chris and his team work to learn from them . In other cases , when stakeholders in the value chain are able to learn from Thermo Fisher , the team supports with capability building .
“ As a manufacturer , we have experience and expertise in how we are approaching our own decarbonisation ,” Alyssa says . “ We ’ re really seeking to share best practices with our suppliers , to provide them with real examples .”
Reducing emissions in Scope 1 and 2 Thinking closer to home , Thermo Fisher has two key strategies to reach net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions – transitioning away from fossil fuels and accelerating the adoption of renewable electricity .
As a large company , Thermo Fisher is actively leveraging its purchasing power to enhance the availability of renewable energy within the grid .
For example , in the US and Spain , Thermo Fisher has created partnerships with renewable energy developers . The benefits are twofold – it secures the supply of the renewable electricity for Thermo Fisher ’ s operations , and also gives a boost to renewable electricity in the area with guaranteed business for often spanning over a decade .
Matthew sums up Thermo Fisher ’ s perspective on emissions : “ At the end of the day , Scope 3 is made up of everybody else ’ s Scope 1 and 2 .
“ If each company can deal with their Scope 1 and 2 , technically you can solve Scope 3 . This is a very interesting connection and shows how partnerships and learnings can really drive change .” corporate . thermofisher . com 15