Partnering for Responsible Supply Chains
deSter
Working Together for a Sustainable Future
At deSter, sustainability is a core part of our business strategy. As we work to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our entire value chain, strong collaboration with our suppliers is essential.
Reducing emissions is not only critical for the environment—it also strengthens the long-term resilience of our businesses. Together, we can build a more sustainable value chain that supports our shared strategic goals and meets growing customer expectations. We expect our key suppliers to actively engage in calculating, tracking, and reducing their emissions.
We’re here to support you on this journey. deSter is committed to providing resources, sharing knowledge, and offering guidance to help you identify opportunities for improvement and take meaningful action. By working together, we can drive the greatest impact—creating a more sustainable future for all.
What you will find on our portal:
Why should you care as a company?
The business risks of inaction
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a business necessity, not just an environmental goal. At deSter, this is a critical focus, and it’s also bigger than us: your emissions are part of our Scope 3, and customers are asking us to reduce them. Falling behind also means:
Higher costs due to carbon pricing, taxes, and tightening environmental regulations
Reputational damage as customers, investors, and partners favor sustainable brands
Operational disruptions from climate-related events impacting sourcing and logistics
Taking action now shows you are a forward-thinking partner. Tracking and reducing emissions will become a key factor in how deSter selects suppliers.
Why value chain emissions matter
Most corporate emissions occur outside direct operations—in the value chain. This makes supplier collaboration critical.
At deSter, 95% of total emissions in 2024 came from upstream and downstream activities
73% of deSter’s Scope 3 emissions were tied to purchased goods and services
Reducing these emissions is vital to achieving climate targets and maintaining competitive advantage
This is not unique to us—it’s a growing focus for businesses across all sectors.
What are greenhouse gas emissions and why do they matter?
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. While they occur naturally, their levels have sharply increased due to human activity—contributing to global warming and climate change. The most common GHGs include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated gases.
These emissions are the main driver of rising global temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events, melting ice caps, and disrupted ecosystems. Reducing GHG emissions is critical to limiting long-term environmental and economic risks—and requires joint action from governments, consumers, and businesses.
This video provides a very good explanation: What are greenhouse gas emissions?
What are the three different scopes?
The Greenhouse Gas protocol classifies corporate emissions into three scopes.
Additional information: WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP)
How does GHG Protocol define and categorize emissions? Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions explained | Climate Now Mini Video 01 – YouTube
Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, such as fuel burned in company vehicles or emissions from on-site equipment.
Indirect emissions from purchased electricity,
steam, heating, or cooling.
Indirect emissions from the company’s entire value chain, such as raw material extraction, transportation, product use, and disposal.
How are greenhouse gas emissions calculated?
Greenhouse gas emissions are calculated using a simple formula: Emissions = Emission Factor × Activity Data. The emission factor (EF) represents how much GHG is released per unit of activity, such as kilograms of CO₂ per liter of fuel. Activity data refers to measurable inputs like fuel usage, electricity consumption, or raw material volumes. Calculating the scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions allows companies to identify major emission sources and target reduction efforts more effectively.
Set a baseline
Setting a baseline is the first step toward reducing your greenhouse gas emissions. This involves calculating your corporate carbon footprint for a specific base year using verifiable data across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
The chosen year should represent typical business activity—not one impacted by unusual events like mergers, acquisitions, or disruptions (e.g. pandemics or extreme weather). This ensures meaningful year-over-year comparisons and helps track progress accurately.
Following the guidance of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), companies should select a base year with complete and reliable data. This provides a solid benchmark for setting ambitious yet achievable emissions reduction targets aligned with climate science.
Disclose progress
deSter recommends publishing the annual emissions via a Sustainability Report or another public format (such as CDP). This ensures transparency and accountability over the GHG emissions of your company and the targets in place.
Contact us
If you are looking for guidance or more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
- Fien Van Den Heuvel, Environmental Footprint Manager
fvandenheuvel@gategroup.com - Stef Oud, Sourcing & Procurement Specialist
SOud@gategroup.com
Our ESG strategy
Our People
Our people play an essential role in our ESG strategy. Without our dedicated employees, we wouldn’t have been able to run our business and grow for the past years. The same counts for working together with our suppliers and customers. At the same time, we realize that our operations influence the lives of communities around us and so we want to work together with them to create a positive impact.
Our Planet
Our Product
Creating sustainable products is key for deSter. Our portfolio ranges from food packaging to serviceware to soft goods such as amenity kits and sleepwear. Our aim is become 100% circular and our dedicated R&D team, designers and product managers are constantly looking for ways to improve & create products which are sustainable but do not fail on design or performance.