Williams-Sonoma

At a Glance

Industry

Retail and Apparel

Project Types

Engagement and Behavior Change, Goals/Targets, Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy

Year

2023

Location

San Francisco, CA

Summary

Ava Van der Meer developed tracking tools, incentive programs, and educational resources to augment WSI’s vendor engagement strategy and bolster Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s commitment to drive a 14% reduction in scope 3 emissions.

Goals

In accordance with its Science-Based Target, Williams-Sonoma has committed to achieving a 14% absolute reduction in scope 3 emissions by 2030. Given that materials and production represent approximately 50% of its scope 3 emissions, WSI must engage key vendors across its global value chain to set their own climate targets and reduce their carbon footprints to align with WSI’s targets.

Ava developed data-driven tools, strategic roadmaps, and educational resources to track vendor climate commitments, inform vendor engagement strategy, and empower proactive emissions reductions throughout the value chain.

Solutions

Ava conducted a gap analysis of the current vendor engagement strategy and leveraged findings to execute against three reinforcing workstreams:

  1. Designing and implementing a survey tracking tool and corresponding dashboard to capture climate commitments from 150+ global factories, forecast annual emissions reductions, and gap-solve between stated targets and a 14% absolute reduction.
  2. Proposing nine potential incentive programs, a prioritization framework, and a phased implementation roadmap to motivate emissions reductions among vendors. Additionally, she developed a data-driven climate scoring mechanism to embed environmental impact in WSI’s vendor scorecard and corporate sourcing decisions.
  3. Developing educational, localized trainings and resources based on the needs and maturity levels of WSI suppliers to support their climate journeys.  

Potential Impact

WSI is rolling out the climate commitments tracking tool and dashboard, vendor training module and guide, and environmental scorecard in the fall of 2023. Likewise, two of the Phase 1 incentive programs will launch in early 2024.

The fellowship’s deliverables will empower 150+ vendors in WSI’s value chain to set climate commitments and undertake emissions reduction actions, thereby supporting WSI’s mission to achieve a 14% absolute reduction in scope 3 emissions by 2030. Additional impacts from the fellowship may include bolstering WSI’s long-lasting vendor relationships, embedding climate impact in WSI’s sourcing decisions, creating time and energy efficiencies in WSI’s data analyses, producing cost savings for vendors, and contributing to the development of green energy markets in Southeast Asia.


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