Supply Chain Decarbonization

A four-week course on strategies to measure and reduce carbon emissions and enhance the resilience of complex supply chains in collaboration with stakeholders.

The course starts Sep 11, 2024. Enrollments close Sep 10, 2024.

Live sessions: Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30am PT

Course level: Introductory

About this course

Supply chains are responsible for approximately 60% of global carbon emissions and are a significant lever for climate action in companies. This course draws from two decades of course creator Janice Lao’s experience leading sustainability efforts in multinational corporations. It starts by breaking down the main drivers of supply chain emissions and then teaches techniques to drive meaningful reductions within them while also making your supply chain more resilient.


You’ll learn how to rapidly assess the climate impact of complex supply chains, apply sustainable procurement practices to your supply chain, and develop a climate impact mitigation plan. We’ll also cover the crucial last mile of constructively engaging your supplier stakeholders to address concerns, generating buy-in, and actually implementing these sustainable practices.

Who is this program for?

Supply chain and procurement professionals

Reduce carbon emissions and climate externalities of supply chains

Sustainability professionals

Align critical supply chains with your organization’s climate goals

Strategy professionals

Incorporate climate considerations of supply chains into overall business strategy

Environmental consultants

Develop sustainable supply chain management strategies for your clients

What climate skills you'll learn

Conduct life cycle analysis (LCA) for supply chains

Assess and measure the carbon and environmental footprint of supply chain operations

Make your supply chains climate-resilient

From mapping and risk assessment to target setting and decarbonization planning

Implement sustainable procurement practices

Sourcing policies that minimize carbon emissions, reduce environmental impact, and boost social benefits

Engage cooperatively with stakeholders

Supplier (especially factory owner) communication techniques to develop a shared language, build trust with transparency, and align incentives

event concluded

Understanding the climate impact of supply chains

Break down the surprising hidden impact of supply chains (~60% of emissions!) This event will discuss the various components and drivers of supply chain emissions that make it the majority of the carbon footprint of many companies. We’ll introduce some real-world examples and identify critical areas that need climate intervention.

The Terra.do difference

Live lab groups

You will meet weekly with the instructor and fellow learners to share perspectives

Skills-based learning

You will engage in individual real-world assignments to immediately apply the skills you’ve learned

Personalized attention

Meet with the instructor 1-on-1 and get individualized feedback on your assignments

Asynchronous and synchronous learning

Flexible learning options to fit your learning style

Meet the course creator

Janice Lao

Co-Founder, Project Eleven and 3X Head of Sustainability

Janice Lao is an internationally awarded environmental scientist and economist working in the field of corporate sustainability for 20 years. In the past decade, she has led the sustainability agenda for multinational companies worldwide such as Peninsula Hotels, MTR Corporation, Cathay Pacific, Swire Group, and Helen of Troy, in industries spanning conglomerates, real estate, hospitality, transport, and consumer goods. She has extensive knowledge and deep practical experience working with supply chains globally on sustainability and climate programs, having worked in China, Australia, UK and US. At the age of 30, she developed the initial mathematical and economic modelling that was the basis for international aviation’s climate change strategy. She also originated and led industry-first sustainable financial deals (green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, M&A). She was named in Forbes Magazine in 2018 as one of the world’s most influential female sustainability leaders and by Greenbiz in 2019 as one of the most influential women working in climate change. She graduated from the University of Oxford and is completing her Ph.D. at Prescott College on governance practices in corporate sustainability.

Course schedule

Week One: An overview: Supply chain to value chain
  • Readings/viewing: United Nations Global Compact: Supply Chain Sustainability, CDP: Changing the Supply Chain, NREL Life Cycle Assessment
  • Assignment: Stakeholder mapping – where do your impacts lie in your chosen company or organization’s supply chain?
  • Readings/viewing: CDP: Engaging the Chain
  • Assignment: Develop a pitch for integrating sustainable practices with your stakeholders’ motivations
  • Readings/viewings: Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate Disclosures (TFCD) sections B and D
  • Assignment: Rapid, desktop climate footprint and impact assessment for your supply chain
  • Readings/viewings: European Patent Office: Sustainable Procurement Policy, World Bank Sustainable Procurement Guidelines
  • Assignment: Bring together a climate action roadmap for a chosen company’s supply chain (note: each previous assignment builds onto the final assignment)

Pricing and expected commitment

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Previous fellows say it best

Sagal Abshir

"The Terra.do course and community are doing the essential work of educating us for the world to come, and coaching and inspiring us to prepare for the critical role each of us needs to play."

Environment Security Unit Head at UN Environment Programme (Kenya)
Shay Hader

“I came into this course not really sure I could work in the climate sector with the skills I already had, but through it, I found there's a whole realm of avenues and paths to pursue that actually need the skills I have to make a difference.”

Senior Designer at Narratives Inc. (Canada)

Frequently asked questions

The course is four weeks long and will be offered from Sep 11 to Oct 2, 2024. Live sessions will run on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30am PT and are structured with 60 minutes of content delivery and 30 minutes of discussion. Attendance is strongly encouraged, but recordings will also be made available.

This course is tailor-made for sustainability champions and changemakers within organizations of all sizes and industries who work in supply chain, procurement, operations, or business leadership. This program empowers and equips them with the knowledge and tools to navigate these hurdles of complex supply chains and build sustainable strategic partnerships, driving tangible change throughout their organization’s supply chain.

Yes. Previous knowledge of supply chains is helpful, but not necessary. We welcome participants from all backgrounds and regions of the world to participate.

Several organizations have learning or professional development budgets for their employees. We encourage you to enquire about and utilize this budget to attend the course. Terra.do will help you get reimbursed for the course by providing an invoice, a certificate, and any other documentation you need. If you have approval from your company, we can also arrange for your company to pay directly.

We expect to run more cohorts given ongoing demand for this course.

Financial aid is not available for this course.

If you have a question about this course that isn’t covered in the FAQ, please email us at supplychain@terra.do.

Learn the skills to work on climate