What Is CIPS L6M11?
L6M11 — Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Principles is the new elective Level 6 module in the CIPS Professional Diploma in Procurement and Supply.
It’s designed to help you understand:
What ESG means in a strategic business context
How ESG principles affect procurement decisions and outcomes
How to embed ESG thinking into strategy, culture and operations
In short — this is about leading procurement with purpose, not just process.
Why This Module Matters
ESG is everywhere right now — regulators, customers, investors, boards and supply chain partners all want evidence that organisations are acting responsibly. Procurement is front-and-centre in meeting those expectations, because you touch suppliers, contracts, sourcing strategies and relationships.
As sustainability agendas grow, procurement teams are expected to:
✔ Manage environmental risks (e.g., emissions, resource use)
✔ Support social value (e.g., fairness, diversity, human rights)
✔ Strengthen governance and compliance
So L6M11 isn’t niche — it’s strategic.
What You’ll Learn in L6M11
The syllabus is structured around three core learning outcomes:
1. Developing an ESG Culture
You’ll explore the role of organisational culture in advancing ESG principles, and how procurement leaders influence that culture.
This isn’t about writing policies, it’s about shaping behaviours, expectations and decision-making across teams and suppliers.
2. Tools & Techniques to Tackle ESG Challenges
This isn’t all high-level theory. L6M11 asks you to look at real tools you might use to:
✔ Assess ESG risk
✔ Engage stakeholders
✔ Track ESG performance
✔ Manage conflicting priorities
✔ Respond to ESG challenges in the supply chain
So you can apply theory to actual decisions, not just recite definitions.
3. Applying ESG to Strategy
This is where the module moves into strategic procurement territory.
You’ll examine how ESG principles influence strategic choices like:
Supplier selection and evaluation
Contracting approaches
Sustainable sourcing
Reporting and governance frameworks
As ESG becomes central to organisational strategy, this is where procurement can add real value.
What Is the Exam Format?
Like other Level 6 elective modules, L6M11 is examined by an Objective Response (OR) exam — that means:
multiple-choice questions
Usually delivered in a scenario-based format
Questions spread across all learning outcomes
You aren’t just recalling facts. You are applying ESG principles to real-life scenarios.
Who Is This Module For?
You should consider L6M11 if you are:
- A procurement leader
- A category manager shaping supplier strategy
- Someone working on sustainability, risk or compliance
- An aspirant MCIPS candidate wanting strong strategic capabilities
It’s especially useful if your organisation has ESG targets.
How L6M11 Fits Into CIPS Level 6
The CIPS Level 6 qualification requires 60 credits:
42 credits from core modules, and 18 from electives.
L6M11 is one of seven elective options, and you’ll need to chose three. Choose it if ESG is part of your strategic goals or career trajectory.
Explore our CIPS Level 6 support at abaprocurement.com/cipslevel6 to get started.