As global climate regulations tighten and expectations from investors, customers, and employees continue to rise, organizations face growing pressure to measure, manage, and reduce their carbon emissions. But while many companies feel compelled to “do something,” meaningful decarbonization requires more than ad-hoc actions or quick-win procurement decisions. It demands a clear, data-driven strategy.
World Kinect’s white paper, Building a decarbonization strategy, distills the complexity into a practical seven-step framework that guides organizations from establishing their emissions baseline all the way through to long-term supplier engagement. Here’s a high-level look at what’s covered in the paper.
1. Establish your emissions baseline
Everything starts with understanding where you are today. Organizations need to quantify their scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, uncover high-impact hotspots, and assess data quality. This is the foundation on which all future decisions rest, and without it, commitments lack credibility.
2. Set ambitious but achievable targets
Once the baseline is in place, organizations should define targets aligned with leading frameworks such as SBTi, RE100, and GHG Protocol. The paper highlights the importance of balancing ambition with feasibility by assessing regional market conditions, technology readiness, and operational constraints, ensuring targets inspire action without setting the organization up for failure.
3. Benchmark against your industry
Decarbonization doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Understanding how peers are performing helps organizations identify competitive gaps, adopt best practices, and signal leadership to the market. Benchmarking also builds internal confidence by contextualizing targets against real-world progress across the sector.
4. Navigate the regulatory landscape
With global regulation accelerating, from the EU CSRD to California’s SB 253 & SB 261, compliance is no longer optional. Proactively mapping requirements across all regions of operation helps organizations avoid risk, unlock incentives, and ensure regulatory compliance becomes a natural by-product of good decarbonization planning.
5. Build a location-specific roadmap
A robust strategy needs a clear, actionable roadmap. Because energy markets, incentives, and infrastructure vary by region, the white paper stresses the importance of tailoring site-level plans, whether evaluating onsite solar, procuring power purchase agreements (PPAs), or implementing energy efficiency projects. A good roadmap combines data-driven modelling with local market insight.
6. Track, adapt, and communicate progress
Carbon reduction isn’t static. By establishing strong data collection processes and aligning reporting with stakeholder expectations, organizations can maintain transparency, validate impact, and continually refine their strategy. Effective communication builds trust internally and externally.
7. Engage suppliers to tackle scope 3
Since scope 3 emissions often represent the majority of a company's total carbon impact, supplier engagement is essential. Workshops, data disclosure requirements, and collaborative renewable energy solutions help organizations influence upstream and downstream partners, driving broader value-chain progress.
Ready to build a credible decarbonization strategy?
Access the full white paper to explore the framework, insights, and case study in depth.
