Nearly a year ago, I wrote in this publication about the operational realities of shaping a global corporate decarbonization strategy. Human health depends on a healthy planet, and reducing our footprint is a foundational part of how we at Kenvue approach daily care.
Since sharing those initial insights, we have continued to advance our strategy to reduce our operational and value chain footprint, including releasing a formal Climate Transition Plan as part of our 2025 sustainability report. As other organizations navigate similar inflection points, sharing the practical lessons from our progress - and the hurdles we are still addressing - can help provide a blueprint for collective action.
Like most multinational enterprises, our initial focus centered on optimizing the footprint of our direct operations. Our recent sustainability report shows that we have reduced absolute Scopes 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 41% from a 2020 base year, which is well on track to meet our 2030 science-based target of a 42% reduction. Additionally, 76% of our electricity now comes from renewable sources across Kenvue operations.
Achieving these operational shifts required maintaining rigorous, centralized oversight to ensure global alignment, while intentionally delegating execution to local facility teams. Because regional energy grids and regulatory environments vary widely, global companies with sprawling footprints must be firm on the final destination but flexible on how local teams navigate the path. This operational flexibility remains a core pillar of our ongoing transition strategy.
While operational decarbonization is vital, emissions from operations represent only a fraction of a global company’s true footprint. For an enterprise managing a complex, international network of external suppliers, the boundaries of direct operational control inherently limit total reduction impact.
For Kenvue, 95% of our total emissions fall under Scope 3—emissions generated by upstream or downstream sources outside our direct control. No global company can successfully pursue decarbonization alone. Advancing meaningful change requires moving past isolated corporate targets and actively engaging the broader value chain.
To address this scale, we developed a Supplier Climate Action Program under the sponsorship of our Chief Procurement Officer. The program focuses on direct engagement with 300 strategic suppliers to drive alignment with science-based emissions targets.
Our operational framework rests on four practical pillars:
In practice, supplier engagement can look different across the value chain. For some suppliers, the first step is establishing a baseline through emissions measurement and disclosure. For others, the focus may be renewable energy procurement, manufacturing efficiency improvements, or setting science-based targets. The key is the recognition that suppliers require different forms of support depending on where they are in their emissions reduction journey.
Until recently, the story of corporate decarbonization focused heavily on individual organizations setting isolated goals. However, in a landscape where climate commitment is standard practice, isolated progress is no longer the benchmark. Cross-industry and retail collaboration is critical to this effort. The current challenge for sustainability leaders is to build collaborative value chains that drive systemic reductions, rather than simply shifting emissions to unmonitored tiers of the supply chain.
And by lowering emissions across our supply chain and focusing on more sustainable product lifecycles, we help our retail partners meet their own climate targets while collectively delivering more responsible choices to consumers.
Ultimately, mitigating value chain emissions is an exercise in long-term operational resilience. As we continue to execute our pathway, the lessons learned and the collaborative frameworks established across our supplier network underscore that the future of corporate decarbonization will not be defined solely by what happens within company boundaries. It will be defined by how effectively organizations engage suppliers, customers, and partners to accelerate change across entire value chains. The companies that succeed will be those that treat collaboration as a core business capability, not simply a sustainability initiative.
Linda Caramichael is the Head of Climate, Nature & Human Rights at Kenvue. She leads global initiatives in decarbonization, circularity, and climate resilience across Kenvue’s operations and supply chain. With more than 20 years of experience spanning consumer health, pharmaceuticals, consulting, and energy, her work directly supports Kenvue’s sustainability strategy: Healthy Lives Mission by embedding environmental performance into core business strategy. A licensed Professional Engineer, Linda is committed to translating complex environmental challenges into science-aligned, operationally grounded solutions that protect people and the planet.
