Sustainable Supply Chain: 5 Practical Levers – “6 Min to Understand” with Pierre Léonard. Midoricast: Podcast #232

A Sustainable Supply Chain: 5 Practical Levers in 6 Minutes

Leave a voice message for Pierre Léonard with a question, a comment, some encouragement, or a thank-you related to this episode on Sustainable Supply Chain.

In this new capsule of the “6 Minutes to Understand” series, integrated into the Midoricast podcast, Pierre Léonard offers a clear and concrete overview of the issues linked to a sustainable supply chain.

His introduction leaves no room for ambiguity: between 70% and 90% of a product’s environmental impact comes from its supply chain — an often underestimated angle, yet essential for anyone who wants to act effectively.

What is a sustainable supply chain?

Pierre reminds us that a sustainable supply chain requires responsible management of suppliers, from production to delivery, integrating environmental, social and economic criteria into procurement decisions. Three key drivers encourage organisations to take this seriously: regulatory pressure (including the European CSRD directive), cost reduction through better logistical and energy efficiency, and the growing expectations of clients.

5 practical levers presented in the episode:

• Measure the carbon footprint of your main suppliers.
• Favour local sourcing when relevant, illustrated by a company that reduced its logistics costs by 25%.
• Optimise transport: consolidated shipments, less polluting modes, eco-driving, reverse logistics.
• Rethink packaging: recyclable materials, reduction, reuse, and the role of 3D printing and generative AI in eco-design.
• Collaborate with suppliers, co-construct rather than sanction, with returns on investment of 15% to 25% observed for certain operational costs.

Where to begin?

Pierre suggests a simple approach: identify five key suppliers, organise a joint workshop, and define realistic actions. A progressive approach, suitable for both SMEs and large companies.

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Our podcasts are accessible to everyone!

Besides the voicemail, each episode includes sequencing and a full transcript, allowing deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences to access it. And with a Google Translate plugin in Chrome, the episode becomes available in any language! We also offer a video format and multi-language subtitles.

Why this series?

We support companies applying meaningful and measurable ESG approaches. Pierre trains and guides them in this transition. Our approaches differ but complement each other: we encourage, he supports.

This choice also raises a real question: where is the limit?

Some companies mentioned in this series are not aligned with our current criteria, and we would decline any collaboration with them until a concrete shift is initiated. But that is precisely where Pierre steps in: his role is to help start this transformation.

This podcast does not aim to judge, but to inspire. The goal? Encourage rather than discourage, support rather than exclude.

Let’s move forward together towards a circular, sustainable and inclusive economy. Listening, reflection, action… in 6 minutes.

Listen to this podcast “Sustainable Supply Chain: 5 Practical Levers” on our YouTube channel (please subscribe!) :

French: The full transcript of this podcast is available as video subtitles in five languages: French, Dutch, German, English and Spanish.
Dutch: De volledige transcriptie van deze podcast is beschikbaar als ondertiteling van de video in vijf talen: Frans, Nederlands, Duits, Engels en Spaans.
German: Die vollständige Transkription dieses Podcasts ist als Untertitel des Videos in fünf Sprachen verfügbar: Französisch, Niederländisch, Deutsch, Englisch und Spanisch.
English: The full transcript of this podcast is available as video subtitles in five languages: French, Dutch, German, English and Spanish.
Spanish: La transcripción completa de este pódcast está disponible como subtítulos del vídeo en cinco idiomas: francés, neerlandés, alemán, inglés y español.

Podcast sequencing : Sustainable Supply Chain 5 Practical Levers

• [00:00:00] Midoricast Intro
• [00:00:02] Introduction to the “6 Min to Understand” series
• [00:00:17] How can we make the supply chain more sustainable?
• [00:00:45] Key figures
• [00:01:15] Definition of a sustainable supply chain
• [00:01:50] Why act: regulatory pressure
• [00:02:17] Why act: costs
• [00:02:34] Why act: client expectations
• [00:02:50] Lever 1: measuring
• [00:03:13] Lever 2: favouring local sourcing
• [00:03:51] Lever 3: optimising
• [00:04:04] Lever 4: rethinking packaging
• [00:04:28] Lever 5: collaboration
• [00:05:00] Where to begin
• [00:05:41] A lever for differentiation
• [00:06:01] Conclusion
• [00:06:17] How to contact Pierre Léonard
• [00:07:06] Our partners

Podcast sequencing : Sustainable Supply Chain 5 Practical Levers

[00:00:00] Jingle Intro: You are listening to “The Podcast Factory Org”.

[00:00:02] Michel Godart: Welcome to another episode of “Midoricast”, your podcast on positive initiatives in favor of the environment and transition. And of course we’re in a “6 minutes pour comprendre” section with Pierre Léonard. I remind you of “Midori”, green in Japanese – “Cast”, for Broadcast. Pierre, the floor is yours.

[00:00:17] Pierre Léonard: Thank you Michel, and good morning to you all. Welcome to “6 Minutes to Understand”, the podcast that explains everything you ever wanted to know about sustainable development. I’m Pierre Léonard, circular economy and sustainable development facilitator. And today, I propose to explore a question, which comes up regularly from purchasing managers, is: “How can I reduce the environmental impact of our supply chain?”

[00:00:45] Pierre Léonard: Before I start answering, I’d like to give you a rough idea of the scale. Did you know that, for most of the objects in our daily lives, the supply chain – from extraction to manufacturing to transport – accounts for between 70 and 90% of the finished product’s CO2 emissions? In other words, if you really want to make a difference in terms of environmental impact, this is the place to look first.

[00:01:15] Pierre Léonard: So, what is a sustainable supply chain? Well, a sustainable supply chain is the art of managing all your suppliers, from producer to warehouse, by integrating environmental as well as social and economic (ESG) criteria into your purchasing decisions. In practical terms, this means asking the right questions: where do my raw materials come from? How are my products made? Under what social and environmental conditions? And how can we optimize transport to reduce emissions?

[00:01:50] Pierre Léonard: There are three main reasons why this issue can no longer be ignored. First: regulatory pressure, which is intensifying. With the European directive on CSRD, the famous directive we’ve been talking about, even if watered down, more and more companies will be obliged to report on the impact of their entire value chain, including the practices of their own suppliers.

[00:02:17] Pierre Léonard: The second major reason is cost. Optimizing your supply chain can generate substantial savings by reducing transport, improving the energy efficiency of your suppliers, and reducing the risk of supply disruptions.

[00:02:34] Pierre Léonard: Third reason: your customers demand it, and not just major accounts. Companies that work with responsible suppliers strengthen their brand image and attract customers who are increasingly sensitive to these issues.

[00:02:50] Pierre Léonard: So how do you go about it? Here are five levers you can activate tomorrow. First lever: assess your suppliers’ carbon footprint. No need to do it yourself. Map your main suppliers and ask for their carbon footprint. For those who don’t yet have one, offer to accompany them – it’s a win-win situation!

[00:03:13] Pierre Léonard: A local supplier won’t necessarily be more expensive when you factor in transport costs, delivery times and the risk of shortages. An SME I know in the food sector has reduced its logistics costs by 25% by giving priority to regional suppliers. Of course, this lever has its limits. For example, even if there is a responsible banana producer in mainland France, it’s still a fairly anecdotal production that obviously can’t cover the needs of supermarkets.

[00:03:51] Pierre Léonard: Third lever: optimize your transport. Grouping orders, less polluting modes of transport, eco-driving, reverse logistics – the possibilities are numerous, and the margins for progress are often significant.

[00:04:04] Pierre Léonard: Fourth lever: rethink your packaging. Reduction, reuse, recyclable materials: here again, economy and ecology can really go hand in hand. And it has to be said that, by combining techniques such as 3D printing and generative AI, eco-design has become much more accessible than before. We’ll have another chance to talk about it.

[00:04:28] Pierre Léonard: Fifth and final lever: collaborate with your suppliers. Rather than punishing them if they don’t meet your criteria, offer them support: training, sharing of best practices, common objectives – you’ll create a virtuous circle. The returns on investment are tangible, with various studies showing that companies that have optimized their sustainable supply chain reduce their operating costs by 15-25% on average, while also reducing their exposure to reputational risks and regulatory sanctions.

[00:05:00] Pierre Léonard: So where do we start? Well, my recommendation is the recommendation I usually provide. Start small, but start now. Identify your top five suppliers in terms of purchasing volume or environmental impact, and organize a workshop with them to co-construct a realistic, measurable action plan. If you’re a start-up or just launching your business, please integrate these criteria into your purchasing processes from the outset. It’s much easier to select a new, responsible supplier than to transform a long-standing, unresponsible partner.

[00:05:41] Pierre Léonard: Above all, don’t forget that a sustainable supply chain isn’t just a constraint to manage, it’s also a lever for performance and differentiation. In a world where resources are becoming increasingly scarce and consumers more demanding, it has even become a lever, a key performance factor.

[00:06:01] Pierre Léonard: Thank you for being with me for these six minutes to understand how to green your supply chain. In the next episode, we’ll look at why sustainability and the circular economy aren’t limited to companies in the industrial sector. See you soon!

[00:06:17] Michel Godart: And our listeners have accompanied you up to 20 episodes so far, this is our 20ᵉ episode and for this 20ᵉ episode I think it will be useful, Pierre, to do a little reminder. Because some people don’t necessarily read the text below the podcast, due to lack of time, or because the application is less easy to use. How do you get people to contact you if they want to use your services? Because of course, with all the tips you give, we’ll go much further if we’re accompanied by you.

[00:06:40] Pierre Léonard: The easiest way, I think, is to react on the podcast’s voice mail, which lets you send your reactions and questions on the spot. My LinkedIn profile is open, so you can always contact me there. And I think there’s also another way to contact Michel via the podcast?

[00:06:59] Michel Godart: Via the YouTube channel, yes, absolutely (Pierre Léonard: That’s right, via the YouTube channel). So you can simply go to the YouTube channel @thepodcastfactoryorg.

[00:07:04] Pierre Léonard: Merci.

[00:07:05] Michel Godart: Thank you for listening and see you soon.

[00:07:06] Jingle Outro: This podcast project is an initiative created and proposed by the ASBL “The Podcast Factory Org”, with the sponsorship of “transforma bxl – Innovation Playground”, a coworking space in Evere. Since January 2025, and for five years, we have also been sponsored by “Plugin Company”, our preferred charging station and card operator. “The Podcast Factory Org” is proud to be a member of “KAYA” – Coalition des Écopreneurs et Écopreneures, and to collaborate with the “Love Health Center”. You can find all the episodes of all our podcasts on the “What’s Your Story point be” website. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel @thepodcastfactoryorg, where we offer the podcast in video format with the transcript, with subtitles, in several languages.

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