Tool targets supply chain carbon emission hotspots

The tool, which is already being used by a number of international companies and is being considered by aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, creates a database of carbon usage. According to developer Professor Lenny Koh, of the University of Sheffield's Management School, it also arms businesses with ways to reduce carbon emissions and associated costs, as well as providing interventions and offering guidance and support. "There was a need for a tool for carbon emissions accounting and management across product supply chains," explains Koh, who is director of the Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LSCM) Research Centre and director of the Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (CEES). "SCEnAT was created by identifying shortcomings in existing tools and proposing a new framework to provide businesses with a holistic understanding of their supply chains – as well as ensuring partners within the networks have a shared understanding of their emissions," continues Koh. Nigel Davies, manufacturing and technical director at malt products manufacturer Muntons, says it works. "The tool is a very practical and flexible system that Muntons has used to analyse and make real impacts on its supply chains," he comments. And Mark Tomlinson, director of operations at Sheffield Forgemasters International, adds: "[It] has been a handy tool that has assisted us in understanding our emissions profile. By engaging with the tool we have been able to identify carbon hotspots within our processes and the impacts of other supply chain inputs." "Tools like SCEnAT can be used in a very creative way by Rolls-Royce, for instance in assessing the total carbon impacts on different supply chain distribution options," states Ian Shellard, global physical logistics director at Rolls-Royce.