About This Course
Global regulatory pressure, investor scrutiny, and consumer expectations are rapidly transforming the supply chain landscape. Organisations that fail to integrate sustainability into their procurement and logistics operations face growing risks — from reputational damage and regulatory penalties to supply disruption and rising costs. At the same time, those that embrace green supply chain practices are discovering genuine competitive advantage: lower operational costs, more resilient supplier networks, stronger brand equity, and access to new markets that demand responsible sourcing.
The Green and Sustainable Supply Chain Practices Training offered by TrainingComplex is a focused, practical programme designed to help supply chain, procurement, and operations professionals bridge the gap between sustainability ambition and operational reality. Over five intensive days, participants will work through the full lifecycle of a sustainable supply chain — from strategy and supplier selection to logistics optimisation, performance measurement, and stakeholder reporting.
The course draws on internationally recognised frameworks including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ISO 14001, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), translating them into actionable procurement and supply chain decisions. Real-world case studies from Africa, the Middle East, and global markets illustrate both the challenges and the transformative possibilities of sustainable supply chain management.
Whether your organisation is taking its first steps toward green procurement or seeking to deepen an existing sustainability programme, this training will sharpen your analytical skills, expand your professional toolkit, and position you as a credible driver of sustainable change within your organisation.
Who Should Attend
- Procurement and supply chain managers and officers
- Logistics and operations managers
- Sustainability and ESG officers working alongside supply chain functions
- Purchasing and sourcing specialists
- Warehouse and inventory managers seeking to reduce environmental impact
- Corporate social responsibility (CSR) professionals
- Project managers responsible for supply chain-related initiatives
- Government and public sector procurement officers
- NGO and development sector supply chain practitioners
- Business owners and entrepreneurs managing their own supply chains
Learning Objectives
- Explain the business, regulatory, and ethical case for green and sustainable supply chains
- Apply circular economy principles to procurement and inventory management decisions
- Assess and select suppliers against environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria
- Design green procurement policies and sustainable sourcing strategies aligned to organisational goals
- Calculate and reduce the carbon footprint of supply chain operations including transport and warehousing
- Integrate sustainability clauses and performance requirements into supplier contracts
- Use recognised sustainability frameworks and standards — including ISO 14001, GRI, and SDGs — to guide practice
- Implement sustainable packaging, waste reduction, and reverse logistics programmes
- Monitor, measure, and report supply chain sustainability performance to internal and external stakeholders
- Identify and manage sustainability-related supply chain risks including climate risk and modern slavery
Course Modules
Module 1: Foundations of Green and Sustainable Supply Chains
- The business, regulatory, and ethical drivers of supply chain sustainability
- Key concepts: green supply chain, circular economy, ESG, and responsible sourcing
- Global sustainability frameworks — SDGs, Paris Agreement, and their supply chain implications
- Supply chain sustainability maturity: assessing where your organisation stands
- Mapping stakeholder expectations: how customers, investors, and regulators are reshaping supply chain requirements
- The link between supply chain sustainability and long-term resilience, brand value, and competitive advantage
Module 2: Circular Economy Principles in Supply Chain Management
- From linear to circular: redesigning supply chain flows for resource efficiency
- Closed-loop supply chains, product stewardship, and extended producer responsibility
- Circular procurement strategies: designing for reuse, repair, and recyclability
- Case studies: circular economy in manufacturing, retail, and humanitarian supply chains
- Reverse material flows: how to design take-back schemes and remanufacturing pathways into supply chain operations
- Measuring circularity: key metrics and tools for tracking resource recovery rates and waste elimination progress
Module 3: Green Procurement Strategy and Policy Design
- Developing a green procurement policy aligned to organisational strategy and values
- Sustainable procurement planning: integrating environmental and social criteria into sourcing decisions
- Life cycle costing (LCC) versus lowest-price purchasing: the financial case for sustainability
- Government and public sector green procurement obligations and best practices
- Embedding green procurement criteria into tender documentation, evaluation weightings, and supplier selection processes
- Governing green procurement: roles, responsibilities, and internal accountability structures for policy compliance
Module 4: Supplier Sustainability Assessment and ESG Due Diligence
- Building an ESG supplier assessment framework: environmental, social, and governance criteria
- Conducting supplier audits, site visits, and self-assessment questionnaires
- Identifying and managing modern slavery, child labour, and human rights risks in the supply base
- Practical workshop: applying a supplier sustainability scorecard to real supplier profiles
- Tiering the supply base: how to prioritise ESG due diligence effort based on spend, risk, and strategic importance
- Using third-party data providers and industry platforms to enhance supplier sustainability intelligence and verification
Module 5: Sustainable Sourcing and Ethical Trade
- Principles of ethical trade: fair wages, safe working conditions, and community impact
- Certification schemes: Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, FSC, and how to use them in sourcing
- Local and regional sourcing as a sustainability strategy: economic and environmental benefits
- Balancing cost, quality, and sustainability in sourcing decisions
- Building long-term supplier relationships that support continuous ethical improvement rather than compliance-only engagement
- Navigating high-risk geographies and commodities: due diligence approaches for cotton, cobalt, palm oil, and similar supply chains
Module 6: Carbon Footprint Measurement and Reduction in Supply Chains
- Understanding Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and their relevance to supply chain management
- Carbon footprint mapping: tools and methodologies for quantifying supply chain emissions
- Transport mode optimisation, route planning, and fleet decarbonisation strategies
- Warehouse energy efficiency, renewable energy sourcing, and cold chain sustainability
- Setting science-based emission reduction targets for the supply chain and engaging suppliers in shared decarbonisation commitments
- Carbon insetting and offsetting: understanding the role, limitations, and credibility criteria of each approach in supply chain contexts
Module 7: Sustainable Packaging and Waste Reduction
- Environmental impact of packaging: materials, weight, and end-of-life considerations
- Designing sustainable packaging: reduction, reuse, recyclability, and compostable alternatives
- Waste minimisation across warehousing and distribution operations
- Reverse logistics design: managing product returns, recalls, and end-of-life recovery
- Navigating extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation and packaging compliance obligations across different markets
- Engaging suppliers and customers in packaging standardisation initiatives to reduce variety and increase economies of scale in sustainable materials
Module 8: Integrating Sustainability into Supplier Contracts and Relationships
- Writing sustainability clauses and ESG performance requirements into procurement contracts
- Supplier development and capacity building for sustainability compliance
- Collaborative sustainability initiatives: co-investment, joint audits, and shared targets
- Managing non-compliance: escalation, remediation, and responsible exit strategies
- Incentive structures in contracts: linking supplier payment terms, preferred status, and contract renewal to verified sustainability performance
- Adapting contract sustainability requirements across different supplier tiers, geographies, and levels of supply chain maturity
Module 9: Sustainability Standards, Reporting, and Stakeholder Communication
- Key sustainability reporting standards: GRI, CDP, ISO 14001, and the Science Based Targets initiative
- Building a supply chain sustainability Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboard
- Internal and external sustainability reporting: structure, credibility, and transparency
- Communicating sustainability performance to investors, customers, regulators, and civil society
- Avoiding greenwashing: standards of evidence, claim substantiation, and the regulatory landscape for environmental marketing
- Using assurance and third-party verification to strengthen the credibility and comparability of supply chain sustainability disclosures
Module 10: Supply Chain Sustainability Risk Management and Future Trends
- Climate risk in supply chains: physical risks, transition risks, and TCFD-aligned assessment
- Supply chain mapping and supply chain transparency as risk management tools
- Emerging trends: digital sustainability tracking, blockchain for supply chain traceability, and AI-driven optimisation
- Building a 90-day green supply chain action plan: prioritisation, stakeholder buy-in, and quick wins
- Nature-related supply chain risks: understanding TNFD, biodiversity loss, and water stress as emerging procurement and sourcing concerns
- Embedding sustainability into supply chain governance: board oversight, cross-functional ownership, and integrating ESG into procurement scorecards and business reviews
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have at least two years of professional experience in procurement, supply chain, logistics, or a related operations role. A basic familiarity with standard procurement or sourcing processes is assumed. No prior formal training in sustainability or environmental management is required, as the programme introduces all relevant frameworks from the ground up.
Training Methodology
- Sustainability maturity assessment exercise — participants benchmark their own organisation's current supply chain practices against a structured green supply chain maturity model
- Case study analysis of real supply chains — drawing on examples from East Africa, South Africa, the Gulf, and global multinationals to examine green sourcing, sustainable logistics, and ESG reporting in practice
- Supplier sustainability scorecard workshop — groups develop and apply an ESG evaluation tool to a set of realistic supplier profiles
- Carbon footprint mapping exercise — participants trace emissions across a simulated supply chain and identify priority reduction levers
- Green procurement policy drafting session — individuals draft a sustainability clause or policy section applicable to their own organisation
- Role-play negotiation — participants practise integrating sustainability requirements into a supplier negotiation scenario
- Group debate on circular economy trade-offs — structured discussion on the operational, cost, and cultural barriers to circular supply chain models
- Peer review of sustainability KPI dashboards — participants critique and improve sample supply chain sustainability scorecards
- Guided reflection journals — daily personal reflection prompts linking course content to each participant's specific organisational context
- Action planning workshop — each participant leaves with a prioritised 90-day green supply chain improvement plan tailored to their role
Organisational Benefits
- Reduced procurement costs through energy efficiency, waste minimisation, and smarter sourcing decisions
- Stronger supplier relationships built on shared sustainability values and transparent performance standards
- Improved regulatory compliance and reduced exposure to environmental and social penalties
- Enhanced organisational reputation with customers, investors, and development partners who prioritise ESG
- Greater supply chain resilience through proactive identification of climate and social risk
- Access to green financing instruments and sustainability-linked procurement incentives
- Improved readiness for sustainability reporting and third-party audits
- A professional team capable of leading credible, measurable sustainability programmes across the supply chain
- Contribution to national and global climate commitments, including NDCs and the SDGs
- Competitive differentiation in markets where sustainable sourcing is increasingly a procurement requirement
Where Is Green and Sustainable Supply Chain Practices Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Johannesburg, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Lagos, Naivasha, Dubai, Zanzibar, Abuja, Cape Town, Nakuru, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Accra, Kampala, Riyadh, Arusha, Pretoria, Kisumu, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,500 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 105,000 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,400 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
17 Oct 2026 – 8 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,300 |
| Accra, Ghana |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
+234 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a formal background in environmental management to attend this course?
No formal environmental management background is required. The course introduces all relevant sustainability frameworks and concepts from scratch, making it accessible to experienced supply chain and procurement professionals who are new to the green agenda. Your operational experience is the most important prerequisite.
Will I receive a certificate upon completing the training?
Yes. Participants who attend the full five days will receive a Certificate of Completion from TrainingComplex. The certificate can be included in your professional portfolio and shared on platforms such as LinkedIn to demonstrate your commitment to sustainable supply chain practice.
Is this course relevant to public sector procurement officers?
Absolutely. A dedicated module addresses government and public sector green procurement obligations, and the broader course content — including supplier assessment, policy design, and sustainability reporting — is fully applicable to public sector contexts. Many African governments are increasingly mandating sustainability considerations in public procurement.
How practical is the course, and will I be able to apply what I learn immediately?
The course is highly practical. You will leave with completed tools including a supplier ESG scorecard, a green procurement policy draft, a carbon footprint map of a supply chain, and a personalised 90-day action plan. These are ready for direct adaptation and use in your own organisation.
Can this training be delivered in-house for our entire procurement team?
Yes. TrainingComplex offers customised in-house delivery of this programme for corporate, government, and NGO clients. In-house delivery allows the facilitator to tailor case studies, exercises, and policy templates specifically to your organisation's supply chain, industry, and sustainability maturity level. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
