Give your customers the carbon figures their supplier audits demand

Who asks manufacturers about ESG?

Your customers, mostly. Large manufacturers, retailers and OEMs are expected to report the emissions in their supply chain, known as Scope 3, and your output is part of it. That is why a supplier review, onboarding portal or ratings platform such as EcoVadis may ask for your carbon footprint, environmental policy and evidence of how you manage materials and waste.

The pressure is coming from both sides of the Channel. In the UK, the UK SRS standards published in February 2026 may lead listed companies to ask suppliers for more data. In the EU, the voluntary VSME standard sets a ceiling: under the EU’s 2026 Omnibus changes, large reporters cannot ask partners with 1,000 employees or fewer for more than the VSME defines.

What makes up a small manufacturer’s carbon footprint?

For most small manufacturers, energy is the largest source the report measures:

• Electricity for machinery, compressors, lighting and extraction, reported as Scope 2
• Gas, heating oil or LPG for space heating and any gas-fired equipment on the supply, reported as Scope 1
• Fuel for machinery and generators, such as red diesel or LPG for forklifts, from fuel purchased
• Refrigerant (F-gas) leakage from air conditioning and refrigeration, from refrigerant added during servicing
• Company vans, cars and HGVs, from fuel litres or mileage
• Courier deliveries you pay for, from parcel numbers, weights and distances
• Waste, from contractor tonnages or estimated from container sizes and collections
• Water, from bills or estimated from headcount
• Business travel, commuting and, optionally, a spend-based estimate of what you buy

As a rough example, a workshop using 120,000 kWh of electricity a year would produce around 16 tonnes of CO2e from electricity, using the 2026 UK grid factor of about 0.13 kg per kWh. The report shows the exact calculation with the right factor year.

Some sources are outside the footprint, and the report is clear about them. Process emissions from industrial chemical processes are not covered. Nor are inbound freight delivered by suppliers at their cost, transport arranged by your customers, overseas air or sea deliveries, or the use and disposal of the products you sell. Raw materials are included only as a rough spend-based estimate, if you choose to add it. The report lists its coverage in the methodology appendix.

Materials, sourcing and the social side

Alongside any spend-based estimate of purchased materials, your report records your main material inputs and any sustainability requirements you set for suppliers. That gives customers a clear picture of how you approach sourcing.

The people section matters in manufacturing too. Your report records your health and safety policy and incident recording, training, pay including the Real Living Wage, benefits and diversity monitoring. Governance covers your code of conduct, risk management and supplier due diligence, and the report records which of these policies you already have.

Your private action plan then lists improvements in order. Energy is usually first: compressed air leaks, idle machinery and heating controls are common quick wins. Larger projects such as solar may qualify for local grants, and your baseline gives funders the figures they need. See our guide to energy figures for grant applications.

How long it takes

A workshop or product business usually finishes in 30 to 45 minutes. Have your electricity and gas bills, your main materials or product types, waste collection details and, if you run vans, fuel card statements or rough mileage. Answers save as you go. Your first report is free. Start your report and send your customer real figures this week.