A Low-Carbon Course: Strachan's Journey to Sustainable Procurement

  Jarrad Redhead 

Carbon Management Plan  

Client: Strachans

 

 

 

 

Brief:

Established in 1939, Strachans has grown from a family-run victualling service for the fishing industry to a global food and catering supplier. To align with industry commitments, the company engaged Tomson Consulting to assess its carbon footprint and support its transition to low-carbon operations, including meeting PAS 2060 requirements.

 

 

Areas of work

Decarbonisation 
 

Stakeholders

Strachans, Customers of Strachans: Marine Industry, Offshore Oil and Gas Industry, Offshore Renewable Energy Industry

 

 

Opportunities

  • Embed low-carbon objectives to lead by example and enhance customer relationships.
  • Implement renewable energy projects such as solar photovoltaic systems.
  • Improve energy efficiency through measures like reducing electrical baseload and hot water use.
  • Source goods locally, reducing transport-related emissions by up to 93% for some products.
  • Partner with supply chain stakeholders to develop shared decarbonisation strategies.
  • Leverage data systems to monitor and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions effectively.

Challenges

 

  • High reliance on Scope 3 emissions (98.89% of total emissions), which are harder to control.
  • Significant upfront costs for some initiatives (e.g., solar PV installation and refrigeration upgrades).
  • Balancing decarbonisation goals with operational demands in a global supply chain.
  • Limited baseline data for some areas, requiring further assessment to quantify opportunities.

 

 

 

 Outcomes

  • Completed a baseline carbon footprint for 2022, estimating total emissions at 59,935 tonnes CO₂e.
  • Identified initial projects to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 283 tonnes CO₂e annually, saving £68,766 per year at current energy prices.
  • Recommended actions for meeting PAS 2060 requirements, including defining boundaries, improving data management, and setting reduction targets.
  • Proposed energy efficiency upgrades at Caley Cold Stores, including refrigeration system improvements, with potential for significant cost and emissions reductions.
  • Established a foundation for further collaboration with supply chain partners to explore additional carbon reduction opportunities.
  • Suggested local sourcing strategies to cut emissions and support the local economy.

 

 

 

Testimonials

“Strachans engaged with Tomson Consulting in early 2022 to support the business with initially creating our Carbon Management Plan. They have always worked to a structured plan and have fully delivered against the scope, in line with the budgeted costs. Mike and Pip have really supported the business throughout our ESG journey to date, making what is a complex topic easier for us to understand. They have been on hand to answer any questions and have ensured that the data that has formed our Carbon Baseline has been accurate. We have now extended our cooperation with Tomson Consulting to support us with devising our Carbon Reduction Initiatives and they are working with the team to ensure that the ongoing data capture process can be managed ‘in-house'. We plan to retain Tomson Consulting on an ongoing basis so we can continue to benefit from their expertise while ensuring that our ESG plan remains both complaint and on track. I have recommended Tomson Consulting to other businesses who like ourselves initially found the ESG topic rather daunting and would have no hesitation in doing so again.”