Green and sustainable supply chain research: a systematic review of the Scopus database

Currently, the concept of supply chain management is being examined worldwide from the perspective of its impact on businesses, consumers, the environment, and society. In economics and transportation, the terms “green supply chains” and “sustainable supply chains” have emerged. However, the specific applications of each term are still unclear. Typically, both are assumed to consider economic, social, and environmental aspects in freight transportation processes. This study aims to clarify the specifics of these concepts as academic interest in these supply chains is growing, leading to an increasing number of scientific publications and subsequent attempts to consolidate existing knowledge. This study tests the hypothesis that, despite their respective meanings, the terms “green supply chain” and “sustainable supply chain” are used interchangeably in academic literature. The hypothesis was tested using a combination of methods, including PRISMA, bibliometric analysis, and content analysis of scientific publications from the Scopus database. Analyzing 1,871 articles on green supply chains and 1,501 articles on sustainable supply chains made it possible to determine publication dynamics, identify the most influential authors, scientific organizations, journals, and countries, and determine the most significant, highly cited papers. Additionally, the study identifies and summarizes methodologies, key research topics, and promising future studies. The results clarify the application areas for the terms “green supply chain” and “sustainable supply chain”, distinguish their respective scopes, and lay the groundwork for further research on various types of supply chains.