Tracking Your Scope 3 Supply Chain: For Events
- Jan 12
- 5 min read
Most businesses will be familiar with tracking their Scope 1 and 2 emissions, but Scope 3 tends to be the most complex.
In fact, GHG Protocol claim that Scope 3 often accounts for 90% of an organisation’s total emissions, and for events the majority of the carbon footprint sits within the supply chain.
Taking this into consideration, our guide explores what Scope 3 supply chain tracking looks like in practice for events, why it matters, and how better logistics data helps.
What Are Scope 3 Emissions?
Scope 3 emissions are the indirect emissions that come from activities your organisation is connected to, but does not directly control.
They include everything that happens before and after you operate, across your wider supply chain.
For events, this means emissions from:
Suppliers
Transport
Materials
Travel
Accommodation
Catering
Waste
While these emissions won't come directly from your own buildings or vehicles, they're created because of your event, and are good to track for ESG sustainability reporting.
What Does Supply Chain Tracking Actually Mean?
Supply chain tracking means understanding how materials, equipment and services move from suppliers to your event.
It looks at where things come from, how they're transported, when they arrive and where they go next.
For events, this often includes things like:
Staging, structures and temporary builds
AV, lighting and technical equipment
Furniture, signage and branding
Catering, food deliveries and waste collection
Freight, couriers and on-site logistics
Tracking can be as simple as logging deliveries and suppliers, or as detailed as monitoring movements in real time.
With that in mind, the goal of sustainable supply chain management is to create visibility, reduce delays and cut unnecessary transport.
Over time, scope 3 supply chain tracking also creates reliable data that can be used for sustainability reporting and carbon measurement, helping with overall supply chain decarbonisation.
Why Tracking Matters for Events
Tracking matters for events because it brings clarity to complex logistics and removes uncertainty from delivery.
When teams can see how materials, suppliers and timelines connect, they can run events more smoothly while also building the data needed for credible carbon reporting and compliance.
Let's explore just a few of the biggest ways tracking can help with your events.
Reducing Delays and Improving Operational Control
Reducing delays starts with giving event teams clear visibility over what's happening and when, allowing teams to spot issues and make adjustments early.
By tracking suppliers, deliveries and build schedules in a carbon accounting software like Scope, teams can coordinate handovers, avoid clashes and keep their event moving smoothly.
Clear communication and consistent updates prevent the small miscommunications that often create the biggest delays.
Through Scope, event teams can even:
Set clear due dates for every task and delivery
Give suppliers access to shared timelines and progress tracking
Cut the most painful friction points for clients by keeping everyone aligned and accountable
This approach helps events run on time, reduces stress for the team, and delivers a smoother experience.
Understanding Material Flow for Better Carbon Insights
Understanding how materials move through your event is key to both operational efficiency and sustainability.
Knowing when items arrive, how they're transported and where they are used gives teams a clear picture of their event’s bigger footprint.
Accurate movement data also makes it easier to identify where waste or inefficiencies occur and where emissions can be reduced.
Through Scope, this information becomes usable carbon data, even for teams who aren’t technical.
Teams can turn delivery logs, equipment tracking and supplier updates into clear carbon insights.
This makes reporting, compliance and supply chain decarbonisation simpler and more reliable, without adding extra work.
Supporting Compliance and Stakeholder Reporting
Firstly, supporting compliance and stakeholder reporting starts with gathering consistent, accurate data from all your event suppliers.
However, when inputs are incomplete or inconsistent, gaps appear that make reporting difficult and unreliable.
Therefore, collecting and standardising supplier information ensures that client, regulatory and sustainability requirements can be met with confidence.
Importantly, through Scope, teams can invite suppliers into the software to input their information accurately, removing the usual reporting gaps.
As a result, sustainable supply chain management becomes easier as you can provide clear, verifiable updates to clients, regulators and stakeholders.
How Digital Tools Support Supply Chain Tracking
GPS tags, barcodes and real-time logs are commonly used tools for tracking how materials and equipment move through an event supply chain.
These can be used to:
GPS tags help monitor location and movement, making it easier to track transport routes, arrival times and collections.
Barcodes allow items to be scanned in and out, creating a clear record of what has been delivered, used or returned.
Real-time logs capture updates as they happen, helping teams coordinate suppliers and respond quickly to changes.
As a result, companies can increase their visibility and coherently bring information back to Scope for the bigger picture.
By connecting movement data with suppliers, transport and materials, Scope helps turn logistics activity into usable carbon data.
This allows event teams to understand emissions, support compliance and make more accountable supply chain decisions.
Common Tracking Challenges For Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Tracking a sustainable supply chain is not always straightforward, and teams often encounter multiple obstacles along the way.
Some of the most common tracking challenges include:
Data gaps that make it hard to see the full picture
Fragmented systems that scatter information across multiple platforms
Manual processes that are time-consuming and prone to errors
Inconsistent supplier reporting that creates gaps and delays
These issues make it difficult to identify inefficiencies or measure carbon impact accurately.
Fortunately, the carbon accounting software Scope addresses these challenges by inviting suppliers to input information directly and setting clear due dates.
It's simple to use, requires no technical background, and reduces the most painful friction points for clients.
Ultimately, it makes sustainable supply chain management easier, faster and far more reliable.
FAQ
Q: How do I start tracking my event’s supply chain if I’ve never done it before?
A: Start by identifying key suppliers, deliveries and materials, then log them in one central system like Scope. Focus on collecting the most critical information first and build from there.
Q: What types of data should I prioritise collecting?
A: Track arrivals, departures, transport methods, quantities and supplier details. This information gives the clearest picture of material flow and emissions hotspots.
Tackling Your Own Scope 3 Supply Chain
In summary, tracking your Scope 3 supply chain is integral for businesses, bringing new clarity to complex logistics and learning where reductions can be made.
It links suppliers, transport and materials to real insights, reducing delays, cutting waste and supporting supply chain decarbonisation.
With the right carbon accounting software like Scope, this data becomes useful from day one, offering carbon insights, supporting ESG sustainability reporting and more accountable events.
Sound interesting? Just get in touch and we'd be happy to see how Scope can help you.
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