Carter’s Inc. – Kimberly Ludena Acevedo – 2025
Summary
Kimberly Ludena developed a supplier engagement strategy to help meet the company’s Science-Based Target related to supplier engagement. She strengthened the process for environmental data collection, built a recognition and incentive program for top suppliers, and designed a communications and training plan to equip internal sourcing teams and external vendors to reduce emissions.
Goals
Carter’s Inc. has committed to having 77% of suppliers (by spend of purchased goods and services) adopt science-based targets by 2027. The fellowship aimed to accelerate this goal by improving supplier data accuracy, including sustainability metrics into vendor onboarding and performance reviews, creating an engagement framework that rewards progress, and equipping sourcing teams with guidance and training.
Solutions
Kimberly developed a comprehensive supplier engagement strategy through the following steps:
Benchmarking: Conducted benchmarking research on the supply chain sustainability approaches of peers and competitors, and SaaS vendors used in the industry.
Data collection analysis: Analyzed Carter’s Scope 3 GHG accounting approach from Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to identify key emissions drivers and opportunities to streamline data collection.
GHG data analysis: Conducted an emissions analysis of Carter’s suppliers to understand key trends, opportunities, and challenges in supplier and industry emissions targets.
Engage with internal stakeholders: Kimberly engaged regularly with Carter’s Sourcing team, who plays a key role in identifying and onboarding new suppliers and tracking their corporate social responsibility and environmental performance. Their feedback, insights, and recommendations were incorporated ensuring the strategy is aligned with operational realities.
Potential Impact
Kimberly recommended making the annual Higg FEM Environmental Assessment completion and verification mandatory for all vendors, accelerating the deadlines for annual completion, and integrating the resulting scores into Carter’s supplier rating system. This new framework enables Carter’s Inc. to track and improve supplier sustainability performance, expand GHG target adoption, and enhance data quality for Scope 3 reporting. Country-specific workshops could further strengthen partnerships and accelerate progress toward the company’s 2027 science-based target. Finally, Kimberly embedded sustainability requirements into governance documents, creating opportunities to integrate sustainability touchpoints across the sourcing process. These efforts are supported by toolkits and training for sourcing teams to ensure lasting impact.
