Why Scope 3 Is the Real Resilience Problem in Construction

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If 98% of your emissions sit in your supply chain, what does that say about your resilience when things start to break?

In this episode of the Resilient Supply Chain Podcast, I’m joined by Keith O’Flynn, Group Supply Chain Sustainability Manager at John Sisk & Son. Construction is often labelled slow, conservative, and carbon-heavy. But beneath the surface, it’s becoming a stress test for how resilient modern supply chains really are. With regulation tightening, data under scrutiny, and material risks rising, this conversation lands right at the intersection of resilience, sustainability, and operational reality.

You’ll hear how Sisk discovered that Scope 1 and 2 account for just 2% of its emissions, while a staggering 98% sit upstream in the supply chain, turning decarbonisation into a resilience challenge overnight. We break down why concrete and steel dominate risk exposure, and how low-carbon alternatives are finally moving from theory to site-ready practice.

You might be surprised to learn why construction sites can burn more energy after hours than during the working day, how poor emissions data can be wrong by ±100%, and why better visibility is now as critical as better materials. We also dig into supplier engagement at scale, the limits of hydrogen hype, and why resilience increasingly depends on standards, trust, and data you can actually defend.

🎙️ Listen now to hear how John Sisk & Son is tackling supply chain resilience, sustainability risk, and visibility where it matters most.

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