Companies news
Capgemini, Thales & Sweep have announced a three-year partnership to accelerate the reduction of GHG emissions across complex supply chains
As global businesses face mounting pressure to decarbonise, a new partnership between Capgemini, Thales and sustainability platform Sweep aims to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across complex supply chains.
The three-year strategic collaboration, announced at the 2025 Paris Air Show, will focus on gathering emissions data from Thales’ extensive network of suppliers and refining the company’s carbon footprint assessments.
To support this effort, Thales Procurement will implement Sweep’s advanced sustainability data management platform, enabling more accurate and comprehensive tracking of environmental impact. Capgemini Invent will facilitate the integration of this technology and work closely with Thales to monitor and manage emissions reduction plans, particularly with suppliers identified as the largest emitters.
This structured, data-driven approach aims to deliver measurable progress in decarbonising Thales’ global supply chain.
Thales says: “This partnership reflects Thales’ strong commitment to a more sustainable aerospace industry with a clear ambition: reduce Scope 3 emissions by 15% by 2030 (SBTi-validated target)”
The power of partnership
The alliance between Capgemini, Thales and Sweep brings together complementary expertise in digital transformation, advanced technology and emissions data management.
Capgemini, a global leader in consulting and technology services, will leverage its experience in sustainability strategy and digital solutions.
Thales, renowned for its aerospace, defense and security innovations, contributes its operational and supply chain know-how.
Sweep, a fast-growing climate tech company, provides a robust platform for tracking, analysing and reducing carbon emissions across value chains.
“Strong sustainability management is a fundamental lever for growth and value-creation,” says Sweep’s CEO and Co-Founder Rachel Delacour.
By accelerating its existing work to cut the carbon footprint of its global value chain, Thales is showing leadership within the aerospace industry and beyond. Sustainability must be aligned with business strategy, and true impact demands collaboration across the entire value chain.
“We at Sweep are looking forward to working with Thales and Capgemini to achieve this goal.”
By pooling resources and knowledge, the partners aim to help organisations build comprehensive emissions baselines, set science-based targets and foster collaboration with suppliers.
This integrated approach is designed to make supply chain decarbonisation more actionable and transparent, supporting clients in meeting regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations.
The challenge of reducing supply chain emissions
Decarbonising global supply chains remains one of the most formidable hurdles in corporate climate action.
For most companies, the majority of emissions—often more than 70%—are classified as Scope 3, originating from suppliers, logistics and product end-of-life processes.
These emissions are difficult to measure and control, as they are distributed across hundreds or thousands of suppliers in diverse geographies and industries.
Key challenges include:
- Data transparency: many organisations struggle to obtain accurate, granular emissions data from suppliers, especially beyond their immediate (tier 1) partners.
- Supplier engagement: fragmented supplier landscapes and varying levels of climate maturity make it hard to set unified standards and drive collective action.
- Internal alignment: conflicting priorities between sustainability and procurement teams can hinder progress, particularly when cost pressures compete with environmental goals.
- Regulatory complexity: evolving regulations and reporting standards add further complexity, requiring companies to adapt quickly and ensure compliance.
Despite these obstacles, research shows that decarbonising supply chains can have a far greater climate impact than focusing on direct operations alone, with some sectors able to reduce emissions by up to 40% using existing technologies and practices.
Capgemini’s sustainability strategy
Capgemini has established itself as a leader in corporate sustainability, both through its internal operations and its client-facing services.
The company is committed to achieving net zero by 2040, with a verified science-based target of a 90% reduction in carbon emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3. Its strategy is built on four pillars:
- Empowering People: Embedding sustainability into business culture and governance, and making carbon a key performance metric.
- Transforming Mobility: Minimising business travel emissions and prioritizing low-carbon options.
- Sustainable Operations: Transitioning to 100% renewable energy, optimizing resource use, and improving IT infrastructure efficiency.
- Client Solutions: Providing services and digital tools to help clients address their own sustainability challenges.
Capgemini’s UK operations have already achieved a 50% reduction in absolute emissions since 2019, with a car fleet that is 94% electric or hybrid and more than one million trees planted as part of its reforestation initiatives.
Thales’ sustainability strategy
Thales has integrated sustainability into its core business strategy, focusing on reducing its environmental footprint and innovating for a low-carbon future. The company’s approach includes:
- Setting science-based targets: thales aims to align its emissions reductions with the paris agreement, targeting significant cuts in both direct (scope 1 & 2) and indirect (scope 3) emissions.
- Operational efficiency: investments in renewable energy, energy-efficient manufacturing, and sustainable product design.
- Supplier collaboration: engaging with suppliers to improve emissions transparency and encourage adoption of greener practices.
- Circular economy initiatives: developing solutions for recycling and end-of-life management of products, particularly in electronics and aerospace sectors.
Thales recognises that industry-wide transformation requires collaboration and is committed to working with partners and customers to drive systemic change.
Sweep’s sustainability strategy
Sweep’s platform is designed to empower organisations to manage and reduce their carbon footprint across complex supply chains.
Its core strategy includes:
- Data-driven insights: providing tools for comprehensive emissions tracking, from direct operations to deep-tier suppliers.
- target setting and progress monitoring: enabling companies to set science-based targets and transparently report progress.
- supplier engagement: facilitating collaboration and data sharing across the value chain to identify hotspots and co-create abatement strategies.
- regulatory compliance: helping clients navigate evolving disclosure requirements and align with global standards.
Sweep’s technology-centric approach aims to break down barriers to supply chain decarbonisation, making it easier for companies to take meaningful climate action.
As the partnership between Capgemini, Thales, and Sweep demonstrates, collaboration, innovation and digital tools are essential to overcoming the challenges of supply chain emissions. By working together, these leaders are paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient global economy.
As Segio von Borries, VP, Thales, said about the announcement: “Doing good for the good of our planet!”
SOURCE: SUSTAINABILITY MAGAZINE