How Optera Helps Big-Name Businesses cut Scope 3 Emissions

Optera, a prominent provider in the ESG (environmental, social, governance) and carbon management space, is leading efforts to improve supply chain transparency, helping companies meet increasingly rigorous emissions reporting requirements.

Through its Supply Chain Manager platform, Optera enables companies like Dell to accurately track emissions and fulfil decarbonisation commitments across their supply chains.

This focus on emissions monitoring is a critical component in corporate sustainability, particularly with rising regulations such as the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and California’s Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, which demand comprehensive emissions tracking.

Dell’s decision to work with Optera underscores the tech company’s commitment to decarbonising its complex global supply chain. Optera’s technology is designed to address Scope 3 emissions – from upstream and downstream activities in the supply chain – which are often the most challenging to track.

As Dell increases its transparency in emissions data, it moves closer to significant reductions in its carbon footprint, reinforcing its environmental goals and leadership in sustainability.

Optera’s Role in Carbon Management

Founded in 2006, Optera has become a leader in software-driven carbon management. The company’s platform aids large organisations in reducing emissions through enhanced transparency, data analysis and logistics coordination across their entire supply chain. By offering Dell and other major corporations the ability to manage Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased electricity) and Scope 3 emissions, Optera provides insights and forecasts that assist in reducing carbon impact across the board.

Optera’s platform allows Dell to collaborate with partners throughout its supply chain, supporting emissions reduction at every production stage.

Optera currently tracks over 225 million tonnes of CO2 across approximately 84,000 customer sites, reflecting its wide-reaching impact on carbon management for multinationals worldwide. The new Supply Chain Manager platform includes critical features that boost Dell’s ability to act on its emissions data, including:

• Accelerated reporting: Fast-tracks the time between onboarding and accessing initial supply chain emissions data, allowing Dell to compile its Category 1 emissions inventory and submit automated reports quickly.
• Calculation transparency: Presents emissions calculations, sources and factor mappings in real time, ensuring traceability for stakeholders, sustainability teams and auditors.
• Supplier data detail: Includes facility-level and business-unit emissions data from suppliers, with potential for product-level emissions insights in future upgrades.
• Enhanced user experience: Facilitates collaboration among cross-functional teams, including executive leadership and other non-sustainability stakeholders, fostering a more integrated approach to emissions management.

Tim Weiss, Optera’s Co-Founder and CEO, emphasises the transformative impact of the platform on corporate sustainability strategies: "We're not just providing a tool; we're enabling a transformative approach to sustainability.

"With enhanced supplier data granularity, transparent calculations and accelerated time to insight, Optera is making it easier than ever for companies to drive climate action throughout their value chains."

Optera’s upgraded platform integrates data from more than 10,000 companies. Its improved upstream calculation methods and data standards offer Dell and other clients a thorough understanding of emissions within their supply chains.

Dell’s Supply Chain Management Goals

Dell’s partnership with Optera is an essential part of its mission to reduce supply chain emissions. The company’s ambitious sustainability goals include integrating substantial volumes of sustainable materials into its products – a total of 95 million pounds (43.1 million kg) of such materials. Dell’s additional goals target significant cuts across various emission scopes, including:

• 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and 30% reduction in Scope 3 emissions related to product use
• 75% renewable energy usage in global facilities by 2030, with a 100% target by 2040
• 45% reduction in Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services by 2030

To achieve these targets, Dell encourages its suppliers to adopt renewable energy and reduce emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, while motivating them to involve their suppliers in these reduction efforts.

Dell also promotes energy efficiency in manufacturing, using 1.5 billion kWh of renewable energy in FY23 alone. This commitment to sustainable supply chain practices is further enhanced by Dell’s dedication to a circular economy – which focuses on recycling, remanufacturing, low-carbon transport, responsible sourcing and rigorous emissions tracking for transparency.

By 2030, Dell aims to source over 50% of its product content and all of its packaging from recycled or renewable materials, reinforcing its commitment to a sustainable future.

Through its work with Optera, Dell strengthens its approach to sustainable supply chain management, benefiting from advanced carbon transparency and actionable emissions insights. Optera’s platform, designed to facilitate real, measurable progress in sustainability, plays a critical role in helping Dell meet its environmental goals.

Tim adds: "With enhanced supplier data granularity, transparent calculations and accelerated time to insight, Optera is making it easier than ever for companies to drive climate action throughout their value chains."

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