Blue Yonder expands supply chain platform with Pledge deal
Blue Yonder has acquired the business of Pledge Earth Technologies, expanding its supply chain platform to include accredited carbon emissions reporting.
The addition of Pledge, a UK-based company established in 2021, brings technology to Blue Yonder's platform that enables cargo owners, supply chain leaders and logistics service providers to better monitor and manage their carbon footprints. Pledge's software allows for the automated collection and exchange of shipment data from logistics suppliers, facilitating emissions calculations across all modes of transport, including air, rail, road, inland waterways, and sea, as well as logistics hubs.
This capability will allow Blue Yonder's customers to receive emissions reporting that conforms to the Global Logistics Emission Council (GLEC) framework and aligns with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14083 for greenhouse gases. Customers can thereby gain visibility into the full emissions impact of their operations and those of their trading partners and suppliers.
According to Blue Yonder, the integration of Pledge enhances the company's existing sustainability offerings by supporting requirements for Scope 3 emissions reporting. Scope 3 typically covers indirect emissions from activities such as transportation and distribution, which are often the most challenging to measure.
Saskia van Gendt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Blue Yonder, said: "The ability to easily and accurately quantify precise emissions is a huge win for our customers' sustainability initiatives, but it's also more than that – it's about what you can do with that information. By gaining more insight on the environmental impact of their logistics operations, businesses can find ways to reduce cost, improve accountability for logistics service providers' transportation emissions, and target specific inefficiencies for improvement. Blue Yonder's aim has always been to give customers much-needed visibility into their end-to-end supply chain; this new capability will pave the way for smarter, more efficient and greener supply chains."
One of the identified challenges in supply chain sustainability management is the limited integration of many carbon tracking tools within carrier networks, which impacts data accuracy and scope. With this acquisition, Blue Yonder's platform can now embed emissions data, enabling users to understand the emissions impact associated with their supply chain decisions more effectively and in a timely fashion. This integration will also support companies with reporting obligations and compliance with global standards such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
Bjoern Stengel, Global Sustainability Research and Practice Lead for Sustainable Strategies and Technologies at IDC, commented on the development: "Blue Yonder's upcoming, strategic acquisition of Pledge's capabilities will aide in tackling the intricate challenges of modern supply chain and sustainability management. In an era where corporate social responsibility and ESG initiatives are non-negotiable, accredited emissions reporting is the gold standard for high-quality data. By seamlessly integrating a proven, successful product into its platform, Blue Yonder will help propel its customers towards smarter, more impactful sustainability management."
The use of accredited emissions tracking is intended to assist businesses in identifying areas to optimise their supply chains, such as by minimising empty transport miles, reducing fuel consumption, and making better use of resources and materials. Improved emissions data provides companies and their partners with data-driven insights into their supply chain's contribution to air pollution and carbon output.
David de Picciotto, CEO and Co-founder of Pledge, said: "At Pledge, we believe that technology is a powerful catalyst in the fight against climate change. By joining forces with Blue Yonder, we are multiplying our reach and our impact, giving the largest enterprise supply chains on the planet access to the tools they need to measure, report, and cut carbon."
The team from Pledge is set to join Blue Yonder following the acquisition, bringing additional sustainability and software engineering expertise. The new emissions reporting capability is now available to Blue Yonder's customers, while existing Pledge customers will receive continued support under the Blue Yonder brand.
