IBM joined the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Supply Chain Project in early 2008. Through this initiative, IBM invited 114 of its major suppliers to complete a questionnaire on climate change, looking at issues related to carbon risks and opportunities, emissions reporting, reduction targets and plans, governance, supplier engagement and product life cycles. These 114 suppliers represent 80 percent of IBM's expenditures with production-related suppliers and 30 percent of spend with services and general procurement suppliers.
Of the 114 IBM suppliers that received questionnaires, 72 responded. This 63 percent response rate is relatively high compared to that received by other participating companies.
IBM participated in this endeavor because the company wants to work with its critical suppliers to gain an understanding of their operational impacts and assess where the suppliers are with regard to having a GHG emissions inventory and reduction plan. Survey responses showed that about one-third of production suppliers had reduction plans, and about one-half of non-production suppliers had plans. This is an encouraging sign, but these numbers highlight the infancy of this initiative in the supply chain. In addition to nominating suppliers to receive a questionnaire, IBM also completed the questionnaire as a supplier to its clients.
In 2009, IBM is again participating in this initiative and further collaborating with its core suppliers -- both those who did and did not respond -- in order to encourage them to understand and reduce GHG emissions from their operations.