Sustainable Practices in Supply Chain Management

Sustainable practices in supply chain management encompass strategies and innovations that aim to minimise environmental impact, enhance social responsibility and maintain economic viability across all stages of production, distribution and end-of-life processes. Core approaches include green sourcing of materials, optimisation of transport modes, energy-efficient warehousing and the integration of circular-economy principles such as remanufacturing and recycling. Digital tools—ranging from carbon-footprint tracking platforms to sustainability information systems—enable real-time monitoring and decision-making, while collaborative models foster alignment among suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Policy incentives and regulatory frameworks play a critical role in shaping sustainability standards, and companies increasingly report on environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics to meet stakeholder expectations. By balancing risk management, resource efficiency and innovation, sustainable supply chains deliver competitive advantage and contribute to global efforts on climate mitigation and responsible consumption.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A recent study has developed a spatially explicit modelling framework for cellulosic biofuel supply chains incorporating carbon capture and storage (CCS). Drawing on detailed land-use and crop-productivity data, the analysis optimises the location and design of biorefineries in the US Midwest to balance greenhouse-gas mitigation and economic performance. It reveals that regional variations in biomass availability, electricity prices and CCS incentives must be accounted for when designing low-carbon logistics networks. The findings underscore the importance of integrating landscape-level decision variables with conversion technology choices to achieve substantial emission reductions at minimal cost.

Sustainable Practices in Supply Chain Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainable practices in supply chain management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): The process of capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources and storing them in geological formations to prevent release into the atmosphere.

Closed-loop supply chain: A system that integrates forward logistics with reverse flows for recovery, recycling or remanufacturing of products.

Green information systems: Digital frameworks designed to monitor, manage and reduce environmental impacts within organisational operations.

Green dynamic capabilities: Organisational skills that enable firms to integrate, build and reconfigure competencies to address environmental challenges.

Remanufacturing: The process of restoring used products to a ‘like-new’ condition through disassembly, cleaning, repair and reassembly.

References

1. Large-scale spatially explicit analysis of carbon capture at cellulosic biorefineries. Nature Energy (2024).
2. Challenges in the adoption of sustainability information systems: A study on green IS in organizations. International Journal of Information Management (2024).
3. Stakeholder pressure, green innovation, and performance in small and medium‐sized enterprises: The role of green dynamic capabilities. Business Strategy and the Environment (2021).
4. Managing a closed-loop supply chain with process innovation for remanufacturing. European Journal of Operational Research (2019).