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Environmental sustainability

Sustainability in Fashion Supply Chains: Digital Tools Play a Crucial Role

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers from the University of Padua have explored the impact of digital tools on environmental sustainability in fashion supply chains (FSC), revealing that visibility, agility, and collaboration are key factors in achieving better outcomes. The study collected data from 190 actors in the Bangladeshi FSC and employed structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses. The results demonstrate that digital tools, such as blockchain, IoT, big data predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud-based platforms, can moderate the relationships between resilience constructs and environmental sustainability outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that visibility, agility, and collaboration positively influence both waste management and the pollution/emissions dimension of environmental sustainability in FSC.
  • Digital tools, particularly blockchain, IoT, and big data predictive analytics, were found to moderate the relationships between resilience constructs and environmental sustainability outcomes.
  • The results suggest that supply chain actors that prioritize transparent information flow, effective data sharing, and collaborative practices tend to achieve better environmental sustainability outcomes.
  • The study provides empirical evidence for the role of digital tools in enhancing environmental sustainability in FSC, offering valuable insights for both academia and practitioners.
  • The research highlighted the importance of digital tools in strengthening the positive impact of visibility and diminishing the influence of agility on environmental sustainability outcomes.
  • The study emphasized the need for FSC actors to reconcile environmental sustainability from two perspectives: waste management and pollution/emissions.
  • The researchers used a cross-sectional design to collect data from 190 actors in the Bangladeshi FSC and employed structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.
  • The study's findings have implications for both academia and practitioners, as they provide empirical evidence for the role of digital tools in enhancing environmental sustainability in FSC.

Statistics:

  • 190 actors in the Bangladeshi FSC were surveyed as part of the study.
  • The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart-PLS 4.0 to test the proposed hypotheses.
  • The results revealed that visibility, agility, and collaboration positively influence both waste management and the pollution/emissions dimension of environmental sustainability.
  • The study found that digital tools moderated the relationships between resilience constructs and environmental sustainability outcomes, with a significant impact on visibility and agility.

Sources:

  • Resilience Practices and Environmental Sustainability In the Bangladeshi Fashion Supply Chain: the Moderating Role of Digital Tools. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 2025.
  • University of Padua, Department of Management and Engineering, Vicenza, Italy.
  • Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (www.wiley.com/)
  • Awlad Hosen Sagar, University of Padua, Department of Management and Engineering, Vicenza, Italy.
  • Laura Macchion and Rosanna Fornasiero, University of Padua, Department of Management and Engineering, Vicenza, Italy.

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