End to End: The Need for Green and Digital Skills in Canada’s Supply Chain Industry

Global supply chains play a significant role in our ability to secure a more environmentally sustainable future. While supply chains bring about significant economic progress for many regions around the world, they also disrupt economic, social, and environmental paradigms: for example, it is estimated that up to 90% of a company’s total environmental impacts can occur within its supply chain, as opposed to direct operations, making supply chains crucial for environmental sustainability. Moreover, due to the expansiveness and complexity of supply chains, whether one considers the micro, such as individual apparel or household products, or the macro, such as building materials or electric vehicles, supply chains are an integral part of global, national, and local economies, and they have a profound impact on the environment. Often, what is cheaper or more efficient from a business perspective generates external costs for the environment. This makes it crucial for the supply chain industry to evaluate and formulate supply chains in ways that are holistically sustainable.

Recognizing the role that human capital plays in meeting environmental sustainability goals, this report identifies the impact that sustainability initiatives are having on supply chain labour market needs. This report determines which jobs will be needed to implement sustainability initiatives in Canada’s supply chain industry and what knowledge and skills are needed as a result of sustainability trends. While the report does include some information about mid- and senior-level roles, as well as potential career pathways in the supply chain industry, it mainly focuses on the demand for entry-level roles and skills. Additionally, given the breadth and complexity of modern supply chains, the report focuses largely on one facet of supply chain sustainability: the environment.