Scope 3 emissions reporting often feels like an endless administrative maze. These indirect emissions — spread across complex supply chains — are now firmly in focus as organisations respond to regulation, procurement reform, and growing stakeholder expectations.

Yet in practice, the biggest obstacle isn’t methodology or reporting frameworks. It’s supplier engagement.
Requests stall. Data dribbles in late or incomplete. Suppliers disengage — not because they don’t care, but because the process feels risky, time-consuming, and unclear.

Most Scope 3 programmes don’t fail because they’re technically wrong. They fail because they demand too much, too early.

But in practice, the fastest way forward isn’t always stricter requirements. In some cases, it means doing the opposite. One of our corporate clients has deliberately chosen not to mandate supplier participation in the early phase, instead creating a soft onboarding ramp that clearly signals the direction of travel.

By setting expectations that requirements will mature over time — while keeping the initial ask voluntary and focused on baseline-setting — they are building momentum, trust, and collaboration, laying a stronger foundation for future contractual requirements.

So, here are our nine practical ways to get suppliers moving — with the final one deliberately challenging how most organisations think about data quality.

1. Simplify the ask
   Ditch spreadsheets. Use automated platforms that guide suppliers through exactly what’s needed, in plain language, with no guesswork about scope or format. Make it quick and simple.
   

2. Explain the commercial context
   Suppliers engage faster when they understand why the data matters — particularly when it links to procurement decisions, future tenders, or ongoing supplier relationships.
   
   

3. Offer light-touch guidance
   Most suppliers don’t need training programmes or consultants. Short walkthroughs, examples, or guided digital steps are often enough to remove friction and build confidence.
   
   

4. Make participation easier than avoidance
   Automated reminders, pre-filled data, and simple online submissions reduce effort. When engagement fits into normal operations, response rates rise.
   
   

5. This is not an audit. I repeat. This is not an audit.
   Suppliers disengage when they fear scrutiny or penalties. Make it clear that the goal is baseline understanding, not compliance enforcement. Early trust is critical.
   
   

6. Gamify participation — lightly
   Use completion milestones, progress indicators, or leaderboards that reward engagement, not absolute performance. This creates momentum without shaming or trivialising the process.
   
   

7. Sweeten the deal
   Consider linking engagement to tangible business benefits. Suppliers who participate and maintain up-to-date data can be:
   • Prioritised in procurement decisions
   • Offered preferential rates
   • Eligible for rebates or improved contract terms
   
   This reframes emissions data as part of the commercial relationship — not a side request from sustainability teams.
   
   

8. Close the loop with feedback
   Let suppliers know their data has been received and how it’s being used. Even brief feedback prevents disengagement and signals that effort is valued.
   
   

9. Progress not perfection
   This is the counter-intuitive step most Scope 3 programmes avoid — and the one that unlocks scale. Instead of pushing suppliers to refine, revise, and perfect their first submission, explicitly allow it to be imperfect — and freeze it.
   
   

   No recalculations. No restatements. No endless back-and-forth. Make year one about participation, not precision.
   
   

   Why this works:
   • Suppliers stop delaying because they’re “not ready”
   • Fear of getting it wrong disappears
   • Baselines are established faster and more honestly
   • Improvement becomes visible without rewriting history
   
   

   Ironically, programmes that tolerate rough data at the start almost always end up with higher-quality data later — because suppliers stay engaged.
   
   The strongest Scope 3 programmes don’t begin with flawless numbers. They begin with momentum and trust. If suppliers are moving, accuracy will follow. If they’re frozen by complexity, nothing else matters. Design for progress first.
   
   Perfection can wait. Progress can’t.