Wholesaler Guide
The importance of delivery data
In an increasingly sustainability-led market, tracking Scope 3 emissions is becoming essential business practice.
A
ndy Procter, a carbon and cost consultant with over 30 years of experience in electrical
wholesaling and the wider electrical supply chain, explains what this means for electrical wholesalers.
Most readers will now be familiar with Net Zero, and with the concepts of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Scope 1 and 2 are usually the easier part. They tend to relate to the company- controlled assets: the fuel you burn and the electricity you buy, so the data tends to sit in invoices and meter reads. Scope 3 is the diffi cult bit. It covers what happens outside your four walls: suppliers, transport, employees and waste. It is also where many businesses fi nd the bulk of their footprint sits, particularly those buying and moving large volumes of materials.
ESG - the new normal
This matters because requirements are tightening. Claims are being challenged, methodologies are becoming more standardised. Whether it’s public procurement notices, the NHS Evergreen assessment or PAS 2080, the construction sector and its supply chain (including electrical) are increasingly needing to establish ESG policies. At the same time, electrifi cation is accelerating. EV charging, heat pumps, solar PV and battery
“For Scope 3 upstream transport emissions, basic data make a big diff erence…Without that, a footprint quickly becomes a set of assumptions rather than an evidence-based number.”
storage are now mainstream. Whichever way you look at it, Net Zero has been good for much of the electrical sector.
With changes in tender requirements and procurement habits, the big national wholesalers have recognised the importance of ESG and developed their own sustainability and social value strategies. They’re not only providing leadership in these areas, but also recognising that, in an evolving commercial landscape, credible ESG credentials are not just benefi cial, they are increasingly necessary. Many electrical installers are reaching the same conclusion.
The gap we need to close This brings me to a practical issue I’ve seen fi rst-hand. Recently, I supported a renewables installer to compile a carbon footprint. They have a genuine ambition to become verifi ed as carbon
18 | electrical wholesalerMarch 2026
ewnews.co.uk
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