Why Blue Yonder Acquired Decarbonisation Platform Pledge

Blue Yonder has confirmed the acquisition of Pledge Earth Technologies, a UK-based provider of freight emissions measurement software.

The deal will see accredited CO2e emissions reporting added to Blue Yonder’s digital supply chain platform, with the offering extended to beneficial cargo owners, enterprise supply chain leaders and logistics service providers.

Pledge, founded in 2021, builds tools for logistics and supply chain teams to comply with sustainability objectives, particularly in reporting Scope 3 emissions.

Scope 3 refers to indirect emissions not produced by the company itself but by suppliers and partners across the value chain. These emissions are the hardest to track and Pledge aims to simplify this with software that automates the collection and calculation of emissions data across all modes of transport—by air, inland freight (including truck, rail and barge) and by sea.

Automated, accredited and traceable emissions data

Pledge's standout feature is its capability to deliver emissions data that complies with international standards.

With the acquisition, Blue Yonder is able to offer emissions reporting aligned with the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) framework, which is developed by the Smart Freight Centre and consistent with ISO 14083, a standard for greenhouse gas emissions reporting.

This ensures all emissions data produced is traceable, verifiable and globally recognised, giving customers a reliable and standardised view of their carbon impact.

Customers which extend their existing Blue Yonder solution sets can now access these reports directly within the Blue Yonder Platform, allowing them to evaluate both their own emissions and those of trading partners and suppliers. Such insights not only enable regulatory compliance but help users manage operations with more environmental and commercial clarity.

"The ability to easily and accurately quantify precise emissions is a huge win for our customers’ sustainability initiatives," enthuses Saskia van Gendt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Blue Yonder.

"But it’s also more than that – it’s about what you can do with that information.

"By gaining more insight on the environmental impact of their logistics operations, businesses can find ways to reduce cost, improve accountability for logistics service providers’ transportation emissions and target specific inefficiencies for improvement."

Meeting compliance demands

Many emissions tracking tools operate in isolation and don’t integrate with wider logistics networks.

That’s where the Blue Yonder approach differs. By embedding emissions reporting capabilities directly into its platform, customers stand to gain a network-wide view of logistics impacts, helping them identify where emissions are coming from and act on areas of inefficiency or overuse.

More importantly, the acquisition of Pledge means Blue Yonder customers can meet growing compliance demands.

From the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in Europe to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and disclosure systems like CDP, businesses are under growing pressure to report accurately and take measurable action. The new tool ensures audit readiness by producing data that is timely, accurate and aligned with international requirements.

Bjoern Stengel, Global Sustainability Research and Practice Lead at IDC, sees the integration as a timely development.

“Blue Yonder’s upcoming, strategic acquisition of Pledge’s capabilities will aide in tackling the intricate challenges of modern supply chain and sustainability management,” he asserts.  

“In an era where corporate social responsibility and ESG initiatives are non-negotiable, accredited emissions reporting is the gold standard for high-quality data. By seamlessly integrating a proven, successful product into its platform, Blue Yonder will help propel its customers towards smarter, more impactful sustainability management."

Supporting scalable and actionable climate efforts

Pledge's technology supports smarter resource use, whether by reducing empty miles, trimming fuel waste or selecting more efficient logistics modes.

Tracking emissions with this level of clarity gives enterprise supply chain leaders the ability to shift from reactive to proactive sustainability planning.

At the heart of this move is a shared commitment to scaling impact, as David de Picciotto, Co-Founder and CEO at Pledge, explains: "At Pledge, we believe that technology is a powerful catalyst in the fight against climate change.

"By joining forces with Blue Yonder, we are multiplying our reach and our impact, giving the largest enterprise supply chains on the planet access to the tools they need to measure, report and cut carbon."

Pledge's team of sustainability and software are set to join Blue Yonder in support of its mission to transform global supply chain management. 

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