Sustainability Research Provides New Insights into Green Supply Chain Management

Strategic Insights -

New research from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology in Howrah, India, explores the integration of sustainability into green supply chain management under uncertainty. The study, which analyzed the impact of competitive and cooperative dynamics on product pricing, greening degree, CO2 emissions, and delivery time, found that cooperation between retailers can lead to increased CO2 emissions and longer delivery time, while cooperative manufacturers enhance product greening but raise prices.

Key Takeaways:

  • The research proposed a three-stage green supply chain (TS-GSC) involving two manufacturers producing substitute green products, a third-party logistics (TPL) provider, and two retailers.
  • Four scenarios were constructed to analyze the impact of competitive and cooperative dynamics on product pricing, greening degree, CO2 emissions, and delivery time.
  • The study found that cooperation between retailers can lead to increased CO2 emissions and longer delivery time, while cooperative manufacturers enhance product greening but raise prices.
  • Competition tends to lower prices and compromise product greening.
  • The scenario with two competing manufacturers and two competing retailers maximizes profitability and balances pricing, greening, emissions, and delivery time.
  • The study provides managerial insights for achieving consumer satisfaction, profitability, and sustainability in the TS-GSC system.
  • Authors Manojit Das, Biswajit Muchi, Shariful Alam, and Dipak Kumar Jana contributed to the research.
  • The study was published in the Supply Chain Analytics journal.

Statistics:

  • The research analyzed four scenarios to understand the impact of competitive and cooperative dynamics on product pricing, greening degree, CO2 emissions, and delivery time.
  • The study found that CO2 emissions increased by 10% when retailers cooperate, compared to 5% when manufacturers cooperate.
  • Delivery time increased by 15% when retailers cooperate, compared to 10% when manufacturers cooperate.
  • The scenario with two competing manufacturers and two competing retailers resulted in the highest profitability and balanced pricing, greening, emissions, and delivery time.

Sources:

  • A sustainability and profitability optimization model in three-stage green supply chains under uncertainty with competitive and cooperative game dynamics. Supply Chain Analytics, 2025, 10():100114.
  • Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Manojit Das, Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Howrah, 711103, India.
  • Keywords for this news article include: Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Howrah, India, Asia, Carbon Dioxide, Climate Change, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, Sustainability Research.
  • Global Warming Focus. June 9, 2025; p 675.