Is it possible to procure both locally and sustainably in the humanitarian sector?

Presentation of the results of a pilot project in Lebanon

Tuesday 27 October (in French) | Thursday 29 October (in English)

12:30 to 13:30

Register here (French)  Register here (English)

Purchases of goods and services account for 40 to 60% of the carbon footprint of aid sector organisations, a significant share of which is sourced locally. Yet decarbonising local supply chains remains one of the most complex challenges in the sector: unstable contexts, field teams’ lack of time and expertise, and a perceived lack of maturity among local suppliers on these issues. 

In response, hulo and the Accelerator carried out a pilot project in Lebanon to identify opportunities for lower-impact local procurement. In practice, the project allowed to: 

• Identify and prioritise the most frequently purchased and most impactful goods and services in the field; 

• Assess the environmental impact of five products through a simplified analysis; 

• Meet local suppliers to understand their practices, barriers and capacities, and identify sustainable alternatives; 

• Revise the technical specifications of ten products to incorporate sustainability requirements; 

• Compare costs between conventional and sustainable options using a total cost of ownership approach. 

This webinar will present the concrete results of the pilot project: the methodology developed, lessons learned, the technical sheets and tools produced, and the opportunities and obstacles encountered in the field. It is aimed at logistics, programme and procurement teams in humanitarian organisations, as well as anyone interested in the transition towards more responsible procurement practices. 

It will be an opportunity to discuss practical levers for reconciling proximity and sustainability in humanitarian procurement, and to leave with tools that can be replicated in other contexts. 

Register here (French)  Register here (English)

Sonja Schmid, Head of Climate Solutions and Analytics, Climate Action Accelerator  

Sonja Schmid is leading the Climate Action Accelerator’s Solutions & Climate Analytics team and is one of the thematic focal points for procurement and supply. She has almost 15 years of experience in the field of sustainability, specialising in purchasing and procurement standards. She was previously Corporate Responsibility Manager at a major retailer in France and Senior Manager of the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative at a private sector association. Prior to that, she worked for a leading consultancy on climate, environment, and development based in Germany.  

Quentin Roques, Climate Analytics Officer, The Climate Action Accelerator  

Quentin is a computer engineer specialising in data and artificial intelligence. In his current position at the Accelerator, he helps partners quantify their footprint, calculate their trajectory and set targets to achieve their goals. He holds a master’s degree in data science from Télécom Paris and a master’s degree in Innovation and Digital Design from Sciences Po Paris. He previously specialised in estimating Scope 3 emissions while working in the industrial sector for EDF. 

Alice Boitrelle, Environmental Technical Advisor, hulo Cooperative (Humanitarian Logistics Cooperative) 

Alice Boitrelle provides technical support to hulo field teams in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America in implementing environmental activities, mainly waste management and sustainable procurement, a role she has held for more than a year and a half. Before joining the cooperative, she worked for humanitarian NGOs in the field, across several emergency contexts. 

Philine Moucheront, Environmental Coordinator, hulo Cooperative (Humanitarian Logistics Cooperative) 

Philine Moucheront has been coordinating the environmental activities of hulo, particularly sustainable procurement and waste management, for nearly three years. In this role, she works across various regions, notably Africa, the Middle East and South America. Before joining hulo, she built a career in humanitarian fieldwork, mostly in emergency contexts. 

Cover photo : hulo