Group to develop standard measure for carbon footprints

What should be the yardstick used to measure a supply chain's carbon footprint? Some world-renowned companies will try to answer that question by participating in the Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration (SCLC). Among the SCLC's members are Dell, Pepsico, Nestlé, and Procter & Gamble.

The nonprofit organization Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) formed the supply chain group late last year. The CDP was started in 2000 with backing from the United Kingdom's government. Today, it receives support from five European governments as well as private charities and companies.

Members plan to conduct a pilot project that will measure their key suppliers' carbon emissions to establish a baseline. For that project, which will begin in May 2008, the group will survey members about their greenhouse-gas emissions.

Because the supply chain is a major source for many companies' emissions, the project is vitally important, said CDP Chief Executive Paul Dickinson. "By engaging their supply chains in the CDP process, companies will encourage suppliers to measure and manage their greenhouse-gas emissions and ultimately reduce the total carbon footprint of their indirect emissions," he said in a statement.

The Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration is seeking additional members. For more information, visit www.cdp.net.