Resources
Guides and templates for ESG disclosure.
Practical checklists and plain-English explainers built for small and mid-market manufacturers. No consultant required.
Supplier ESG questionnaire checklist
Most buyer questionnaires cover the same topics. Gather these items before you start filling anything out:
- Facility basics — site address, square footage, headcount, NAICS / SIC code, year established
- Energy — 12 months of electricity and natural gas bills (kWh and therms or MMBtu)
- Fuel — fleet fuel receipts, forklift propane, diesel for generators, or on-site combustion records
- Waste — total waste hauled, recycling or diversion tonnage, and any hazardous waste manifests
- Water — water withdrawal from utility bills; wastewater discharge if tracked
- Safety — OSHA recordable incidents and lost-time incidents for the reporting period
- Governance — code of conduct, anti-bribery policy, supplier code of conduct, and who owns ESG oversight
- Business travel — airfare, hotel, and ground transport spend or mileage for the year
What to gather before starting your ESG disclosure
If you have these documents nearby, the GreenDsk facility profile usually takes 30–45 minutes:
- Last 12 months of electric utility bills (all meters)
- Last 12 months of natural gas bills
- Fleet fuel card or diesel / propane receipts
- Waste hauler invoices or recycling reports
- Water bill totals for the year
- Current employee headcount (FTEs at this facility)
- Your company code of conduct and supplier policies (even a PDF is fine)
- Business travel records — credit card export, expense system, or manual tally
Missing data is fine. GreenDsk discloses gaps in-line so buyers see exactly what you have and what you do not.
Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 in plain English
Scope 1 — Emissions you burn or own
Natural gas for heating, diesel in your fleet, propane for forklifts, and any on-site fuel combustion. If you burned it or it left your tailpipe, it is Scope 1.
Scope 2 — Emissions from the electricity you buy
The grid power your facility draws. Reported two ways: location-based (average grid mix where you operate) and market-based (accounting for any renewable energy contracts or RECs you hold).
Scope 3 — Emissions in your value chain
Everything else: the steel you buy, freight to your facility, employee commuting, business travel, waste after it leaves your site, and downstream use of your products. Scope 3 is the largest and hardest to measure completely. GreenDsk supports selected Scope 3 calculations where data supports them and documents readiness gaps for the rest. It does not automatically create a complete Scope 3 inventory.
Scope 3 category readiness checklist
Use this to quickly assess whether each GHG Protocol Scope 3 category is calculation-ready at your facility:
| Category | What you need | Readiness signal |
|---|---|---|
| Purchased goods & services | AP spend by supplier category or material type | Have supplier spend data |
| Capital goods | Capital expenditure list for the year | Capex tracked in accounting |
| Fuel- and energy-related | Upstream fuel and transmission loss data | Usually estimated from Scope 1 + 2 |
| Upstream transportation | Freight invoices by mode (truck, rail, air, sea) | Know who pays freight, by lane |
| Waste in operations | Waste hauler weights + destination | Capture hauler weights monthly |
| Business travel | Airfare, hotel, car-rental spend or mileage | Expense system or manual tally available |
| Employee commuting | Commute survey or average distance estimates | Survey or HR address data |
| Upstream leased assets | Lease terms and energy use of leased assets | Lease energy tracked separately |
| Downstream transportation | Outbound freight data | Customer freight terms known |
| Processing of sold products | Product mix and customer processing data | Customer processing data available |
| Use of sold products | Product lifetime energy use profiles | Engineering estimates |
| End-of-life treatment | Product material composition + disposal assumptions | Material BOMs available |
| Downstream leased assets | Lease terms and lessee energy use | Franchise or lease data |
| Franchises | Franchisee operations and energy use | Applicable for franchisors |
| Investments | Investee emissions data or financial exposure | Applicable for investors |
GreenDsk screens all 15 categories for relevance, calculates selected categories where data supports it, and documents readiness gaps and recommended next data steps for the rest.
Supplier data request template
Copy and adapt this email to request ESG data from a key supplier:
Subject: ESG data request — [Your Company Name] supplier disclosure
Hi [Supplier contact],
As part of our ESG disclosure to customers, we are documenting emissions and practices across our supply chain. Could you share the following for [reporting period]?
- Total electricity and natural gas use (kWh / therms or MMBtu) for the facility that produces our parts
- Scope 1 emissions, if available (fuels, fleet, on-site combustion)
- Renewable energy share or REC / PPA documentation, if any
- Waste diversion rate and total waste generated
- Headcount at the relevant facility
- Any ESG certifications or third-party assessments completed
We do not need audited or assured data — self-reported facility figures are fine. If some data is unavailable, please let us know which fields are missing so we can note that in our disclosure.
Deadline: [date]. Please reply or reach out if you have questions.
Thanks,
[Your name]
This template is for illustration. Customize it to your buyer requirements and supplier relationship.
How to explain selected Scope 3 to a buyer
Buyers sometimes expect a full Scope 3 inventory. Here is how to describe what GreenDsk provides:
Suggested language
"We have completed a relevance and readiness assessment across all 15 GHG Protocol Scope 3 categories. Selected categories were calculated where facility data supports reliable estimation. Remaining categories were screened for relevance and documented with assumptions, data gaps, and recommended next collection steps. This is not a complete Scope 3 inventory, and we are working to expand category coverage over time."
GreenDsk reports include this language automatically. You can also copy it from your report’s Scope 3 section.
Sample email for sending a GreenDsk-reviewed disclosure to a customer
Subject: ESG disclosure — [Your Company Name] — [Facility] [Year]
Hi [Buyer contact],
Attached is our facility-level ESG disclosure for [facility name], covering [reporting period]. The report was prepared with GreenDsk and reviewed by their team for completeness and reasonableness.
What is included:
- Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions summaries with sources and confidence levels
- Selected Scope 3 categories calculated where data supports them, plus a readiness assessment for remaining categories
- Operational ESG metrics (energy intensity, waste, water, safety)
- Governance and policy disclosures
- Data quality score, buyer-readiness status, and documented assumptions and limitations
You can also verify this disclosure at our public authenticity page: [link if enabled]
Please let us know if you need any additional detail or have questions about the methodology.
Best,
[Your name]
Customize the tone and detail level to match your buyer relationship.
Common ESG reporting terms in plain English
tCO₂e — Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. A single number that adds up CO₂ and other greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, refrigerants) using their warming impact.
Location-based Scope 2 — Uses the average grid emission factor for your region. Good for comparing facilities in different regions.
Market-based Scope 2 — Accounts for renewable energy contracts, RECs, or green tariffs. If you buy clean power, this number is usually lower.
Emission factor — A conversion number that turns fuel or electricity use into CO₂e. Different fuels and grids have different factors.
GHG Protocol — The most widely used global standard for corporate greenhouse gas accounting. Scope 1, 2, and 3 come from this standard.
Data quality score — GreenDsk’s grade for how complete and well-sourced your inputs are. High scores mean more fields are known from source documents. Lower scores mean more estimates or missing data.
Buyer-readiness status — GreenDsk’s internal assessment of whether the disclosure is suitable for common buyer review. It is not a third-party rating or assurance opinion.
Selected Scope 3 — Scope 3 categories that were calculated with available data. Not all 15 categories are included unless data supports each one.
Readiness-only category — A Scope 3 category screened for relevance but not yet calculated. Documented with assumptions, data gaps, and next steps.
What GreenDsk-reviewed means
GreenDsk-reviewed means the report was reviewed for completeness and reasonableness based on self-reported facility data. A GreenDsk reviewer checks that all expected sections are present, calculations are internally consistent, assumptions are documented, and the buyer-readiness status matches the data quality findings.
GreenDsk-reviewed does not mean:
- Independent third-party assurance
- Audit by an accounting or certification firm
- Legal or regulatory compliance opinion
- Guarantee of buyer acceptance
It means the disclosure is structured, internally consistent, and transparent about what data was used, what was estimated, and what was unavailable.
What GreenDsk does not do
- Independent assurance or audit — We review for completeness and reasonableness; we do not verify source documents or perform site visits.
- Certification — GreenDsk is not a certification body. We do not issue carbon-neutral, net-zero, or ISO certifications.
- Legal or regulatory advice — We do not advise on CSRD, SEC climate rules, or other regulatory filings. Companies subject to those regimes should work with counsel and auditors.
- Complete Scope 3 inventory — GreenDsk supports selected Scope 3 calculations where data supports them and documents readiness gaps for the rest. It does not automatically create a complete Scope 3 inventory.
- Guaranteed buyer acceptance — Buyers set their own acceptance criteria. GreenDsk provides a structured, transparent disclosure; acceptance is the buyer’s decision.
- Consulting engagement — GreenDsk is software with human review, not a retained sustainability consultant. For complex programs, an advisory firm may be the right partner.
Disclaimer. These resources are for general guidance only. GreenDsk does not provide legal, regulatory, or audit advice. Adapt templates and language to your specific buyer requirements and circumstances.