We supported Swiscot to identify 201.6 tonnes CO2e of carbon reduction.
Salford-based textile-supplier Swiscot are taking the steps to foster an ethos of sustainability across their business. Working with large quantities of materials and vast supply chain, Swiscot saw an opportunity to green their operations and make meaningful, transparent climate commitments.
However, often the first steps towards net zero are the hardest, and the Swiscot team needed support and training to better understand the sustainable changes their business could make.
“I joined a Journey to Net Zero cohort in summer last year after speaking to the Manchester Chamber of Commerce team who highly recommended the programme,” explains Rachael Shah, Head of Digital & Sustainability Strategy at Swiscot Group. “What I wanted from the programme was to develop practical action steps for sustainability, engage our staff, understand climate policy and our supply chain better, and gain confidence in acting upon and communicating our goals. The programme equipped me with all these skills.”
Upon completing the programme, Rachael set up an environmental policy statement for Swiscot group. She conducted a staff survey to boost engagement with sustainability and gain an understanding of her colleague's appetite and willingness to engage with environmental policies within the business. Completion of the Journey to Net Zero (JTNZ) programme coincided with Rachael speaking at the Northern Sustainability Summit and gave her greater confidence and clarity to communicate Swiscot’s progress on sustainability.
“Materials are a key focus in our business, and a key part of our daily operations,” Rachael explains. “After completing the JTNZ programme I started to pull together a spreadsheet with clearer carbon calculations relating to our material supply chain to give the company a greater understanding of its emissions and where they’re coming from. This fed in nicely to us attending the JTNZ Alumni event which had a special focus on Scope 3 emissions.”
Scope 3 emissions are typically more complex to calculate, and many organisations struggle to pull together quality, accurate data relating to these. Working closely with Joss Bennett, Carbon & Sustainability Consultant at Green Economy, the business was able to expand their carbon boundary by including two additional categories, purchased and capital goods and services, for the 2023 financial year. As a result of gathering more accurate data, they were able to reduce their Scope 3 emissions by 201.6 tonnes, equivalent to a 7 per cent reduction.
“As a majority finished goods importer of textile products, Swiscot relies on supply-chain partners in the global south to capture and share data,” Joss explains. “By working with us Swiscot are more confident on the scope 3 data points to be measure to support them make robust claims on embodied carbon.”
“With support from Green Economy, our emissions data became far more accurate and allowed us to start exploring material-sourcing targets,” Rachael adds. “As part of this strategy, we also want to educate our customers about the materials we use and the impacts various different materials have. This will give our business more transparency and help us to connect with customers on sustainability.”
Demand for green skills is on the rise, with one in five wanting green training at work. In order to transition into sustainability-led roles within an organisation, its essential for individuals to gain the necessary skills to implement effective changes and develop achievable, transparent environmental policies.
“The JTNZ programme has allowed me to transition into a firm sustainability role and progress Swiscot Group’s environmental goals,” says Rachael. “Next, I’ll be looking to upskill more of our staff with Carbon Literacy training in the hope that we can engage our company across the board with environmental commitments.”
Pictured above: Rachael Shah shows off Swiscot's Corporate Social Responsibility Award from 2023
Pictured above: Rachael & Tim sat in Swiscot's shipping container courtyard
