Sustainable Procurement: An Introduction to ISO 20400 (Udemy.com)
Making your Organisation's Procurement Practices Sustainable
Created by: Ross Maynard
Last updated May 2023
What you will learn
- Define sustainable procurement and describe its benefits
- Describe the purpose and main elements of ISO 20400
- Conduct a review of their organisation’s current procurement policies and supply chain
- Identify how sustainability practices could be integrated into their procurement process
- Identify their organisation’s priorities for action in sustainable procurement
- Select appropriate performance measures to help manage their sustainable procurement efforts
- Consider the options to verify the sustainability of their supply chain
How it compares
Against the other 1,210 rated Udemy courses in Business on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 46% of them
- Reviews712#556 of 1,211 by number of reviews
- Length1.4 hoursshorter than 80% of them
- Last updatedMay 2023earlier than 78% of them
Course Description
Many organisations are looking to reduce their climate, social and environmental impacts and are focussing on making their operations more sustainable, ethical and environmentally responsible. A sustainable approach to procurement is one aspect of that journey and this course covers the issues in sustainable procurement along with an overview of ISO 20400 the international standard which provides guidelines for organisation’s wishing to implement sustainable procurement practices
Sustainable procurement is the application of social and environmental responsibility to procurement policies, processes, and practices, and ISO 20400 is the international standard which sets out best practice for sustainable procurement.
This course provides an overview of the issues involved in implementing a policy sustainable procurement and highlights how ISO 20400 supports this. The topics covered include:
· What sustainable procurement is, and its benefits.
· The drivers for changing to a sustainable approach to procurement
· How ISO 20400 fits into the framework of international standards aimed at supporting businesses moving to ethical and environmentally responsible practices.
· The seven core subject areas in ISO 20400
· The Five Stage sustainable procurement model
· Reviewing the organisation’s current situation in terms of procurement
· Performance measures for sustainable procurement
· Cost analysis when comparing suppliers and sources of supply
· Verifying sustainability in the supply chain
I hope you will use this course to examine your organisation’s supply chain and to plan to improve its social, environmental and ethical impacts.
2025 Update:
Lesson 11 has been added in January 2025 to provide information on a review of ISO 20400 that was carried out in 2023
Instructor Details
- 4.5 Rating
712 Reviews
Ross Maynard
I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants specialising in process improvement. I have nearly 30 years experience in consultancy, facilitation and training. I have published numerous online courses on process improvement, performance measurement, KPIs, problem solving and more.
I live in Scotland with my wife, daughter and our Cocker Spaniel.
More Business courses
Hiring and Interview Skills to Recruit Top Talent as Manager (2026)
5.0 (267 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 5.9h
$10.99
Directing the Actor: A USC course with Nina Foch (2016)
4.9 (1,379 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 4h
$13.99
Lean Management: Just-In-Time JIT Certification (Accredited) (2026)
4.9 (1,219 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 2.2h
$13.99
LinkedIn Marketing And Personal Branding Masterclass (2026)
4.9 (137 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 1.4h
$19.99
Personal Branding Mastery: Elevate Your Career and Business (2026)
4.9 (134 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 3.9h
$19.99
Reviews
By Anonymized User on 11/18/2025
It is a great course with wonderful insights on the different ISOs and clear understanding/communication with regards to sustainable procurement.
By Anonymized User on 11/12/2025
the content and pace of the training was great, however it was a little dry.. some more visual examples, incorporate some informational videos, and/or assignments to keep trainees engaged.
By Anahí Sanchez Carrizo on 6/3/2025
The Sustainable Procurement course has been a truly enriching experience. It provided clear, practical guidance on how to integrate environmental, social, and ethical considerations into procurement processes. I particularly appreciated the real-world examples and the emphasis on international standards like ISO 20400. Highly recommended for professionals seeking to align purchasing decisions with sustainability goals.
By Christian Rodríguez on 4/7/2025
I found this course to be an excellent starting point for understanding ISO 20400 and grasping the essentials of sustainable procurement. It effectively lays out the framework and key principles of the international standard, providing a clear and structured introduction to integrating sustainability into procurement systems. The course highlights critical aspects such as setting criteria for ethical and environmental sourcing, managing supply chain risks, and aligning procurement practices with organizational values—all of which are vital for building a sustainable procurement strategy. What stands out is its practical approach, breaking down complex concepts like the seven core subject areas of ISO 20400 and the importance of due diligence in the supply chain. It also emphasizes actionable steps, such as assessing current capabilities, identifying risks, and using performance indicators, which are invaluable for anyone looking to implement these practices. While it’s not an exhaustive deep dive, it successfully covers the particularities and needs that a sustainability-focused procurement system must address, making it a solid foundation for further exploration or application. Overall, I’d recommend this course to anyone new to sustainable procurement or seeking to align their organization with ISO 20400. It’s a well-rounded primer that inspires practical thinking and action toward more responsible procurement practices.
By Anonymized User on 9/9/2024
Mostly bullet points on PPT slides, read to you by the course moderator. Lack of added value compared to simply reading according content... could be better, and clearly below Udemy average standards.
By Suksi Garba Wakawa on 9/9/2024
Yes very well I really enjoyed the course I leaned a lot and it will be useful to me and our company thank you sir.
By Erin Adrian on 9/5/2024
I think the pace of speaker is easy to follow and take notes. Good slides with enough text/images to follow along, but not every word is written.
By Anonymized User on 7/19/2024
Yes, general procurement practice across multiple commodities and regions is always a good course to take.
By Anonymized User on 6/3/2024
It's well structured and make it easier to follow. Also the key learning points at the end were very useful to make a quick review of all the course content.
By Tony Dawodu on 9/8/2023
This course was everything I expected and more. I am now better equipped to guide my organization’s sustainability efforts, especially in Supply Chain Management.
Quality Score
No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.
Overall Score : 90 / 100






