Why Scope 3 Is the Real Resilience Problem in Construction

Send me a message 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. If disruption hit tomorrow, would you know where your supply chain was most exposed? In 15 minutes my free scorecard helps you assess 27 resilience statements, calculate your score, and turn the result into three priorities and a 30 day action plan. You can download the scorecard free at tomraftery.com/scorecard. Support the show Podcast supporters I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous Subscribers: Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev Gary Lynch And remember you too can become a Resilient Supply Chain+ subscriber - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one and give you access to bonus episodes of topical, timely supply chain resilience analysis. 🎤 Looking for a keynote speaker on supply chain resilience, AI, and sustainability? I help leaders understand the forces reshaping global supply chains, from geopolitical disruption and climate risk to AI and real-time decision-making. Download my Speaker Pack: https://tinyurl.com/spkrpck Finally If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a message using this link. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.