Inside The Buyer's Mind

I speak to suppliers who worry they don't know enough about carbon reporting or that their emissions data is not yet complete enough to share. My advice is simple: Don't let that stop you.

From a buyer’s perspective, the most important thing is not whether a supplier has perfect data from day one. It is whether they understand where they are today, have a plan for improvement and can demonstrate credible progress over time.

For organisations like Roke, this matters because a significant part of our environmental impact sits in the supply chain. We cannot directly reduce every supplier’s emissions ourselves, but we can choose to work with partners who are engaged, transparent and aligned with the direction our customers, government and industry are moving in.

You don't have to be an expert to start

One of the biggest misconceptions I come across is that suppliers think they need to be carbon reporting experts before they can begin. That simply isn’t the case. JOSCAR Zero is designed to help suppliers understand their current position and identify practical next steps. For suppliers unsure where to begin, that's exactly where JOSCAR Zero adds value. The platform helps organisations identify the activities driving their emissions and develop a tailored carbon action plan based on their circumstances.

Rather than facing a blank sheet of paper, suppliers receive practical guidance and recommended actions that help them prioritise the next steps on their journey.

Having a starting point is far more valuable than having no information at all. Once you understand your current position, you can begin making improvements over time.

Buyers are looking for credible progress

When buyers look at this information, we are not expecting complete emissions data or fully mature sustainability programmes from day one. What we want to understand is whether a supplier has measured its emissions, whether it has a carbon action plan, and whether it is acting against that plan.

The best responses are realistic and evidence-based. Suppliers do not need to overstate what they are doing, but they do need to be clear. If you have set targets, explain how you will work towards them. If your data is incomplete, be transparent about that and show how you plan to improve it. If you are using a platform such as JOSCAR Zero, use it to present your position in a consistent and auditable way.

For buyers, that tells us far more than a polished answer with little substance. Progress, transparency and governance are what build confidence.

So how do buyers use this information?

At Roke, we use this information to better understand the maturity of our supply chain and identify suppliers that are actively engaged in managing their environmental impact. The data gives us greater visibility, informs our conversations with suppliers and allows us to track progress over time.

We're looking to understand whether suppliers have measured their emissions, established a baseline, developed a carbon action plan and are taking practical steps to reduce their impact. This isn't about creating a pass/fail test. Ultimately, we're looking to build a resilient supply chain with partners that are committed to continuous improvement.

Support is there, so use it

I also hear from suppliers who think carbon reporting is only for large organisations with dedicated sustainability teams. The reality is that JOSCAR Zero has been designed to be straightforward to use, with guidance throughout the process.

And if you need support, ask. The Hellios team, the JOSCAR community and buyers like Roke all want suppliers to succeed. This is not about adding another questionnaire for the sake of it. Done properly, it helps suppliers understand their own organisations better, make more informed decisions and prepare for what customers will increasingly expect.

There is also value in communicating what you are doing. Buyers do not expect every supplier to have solved everything, but we do want to see intent, ownership and a willingness to improve.

Every supplier has a role to play

Sometimes suppliers say they are too small for this to matter. My answer is that every supplier’s journey matters.

Whether you are a multinational or a small SME, everyone starts somewhere. Even small suppliers can take practical steps, improve the quality of their data, and think about how they influence their own supply chain.

That is particularly important in complex sectors such as defence, where resilience, trust and responsible business practices are increasingly connected. A supplier that understands its impact and can evidence progress is better positioned for the expectations that are coming.

Be ready for what comes next

Customer and government expectations around carbon reporting are only going to increase. Our goal at Roke isn’t simply to meet today’s requirements. We want to be prepared for where customer, government and industry expectations are heading, and we want our suppliers to be prepared too.

Starting now puts suppliers in a stronger position. They will already understand their emissions, have a plan in place and be able to demonstrate the progress they are making. That is far easier than trying to catch up later.

Ultimately, JOSCAR Zero is not about achieving perfection. It is about helping suppliers understand their starting point, make measurable progress and work alongside buyers to build a more sustainable and resilient defence supply chain.

To find out more about working with Roke and our approach to supply chain sustainability, please get in touch with our team.

https://www.roke.co.uk/suppliers-and-smes/