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1 – 10 of over 15000Qiang Du, Yerong Zhang, Lingyuan Zeng, Yiming Ma and Shasha Li
Prefabricated buildings (PBs) have proven to effectively mitigate carbon emissions in the construction industry. Existing studies have analyzed the environmental performance of…
Abstract
Purpose
Prefabricated buildings (PBs) have proven to effectively mitigate carbon emissions in the construction industry. Existing studies have analyzed the environmental performance of PBs considering the shift in construction methods, ignoring the emissions abatement effects of the low-carbon practices adopted by participants in the prefabricated building supply chain (PBSC). Thus, it is challenging to exploit the environmental advantages of PBs. To further reveal the carbon reduction potential of PBs and assist participants in making low-carbon practice strategy decisions, this paper constructs a system dynamics (SD) model to explore the performance of PBSC in low-carbon practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts the SD approach to integrate the complex dynamic relationship between variables and explicitly considers the environmental and economic impacts of PBSC to explore the carbon emission reduction effects of low-carbon practices by enterprises under environmental policies from the supply chain perspective.
Findings
Results show that with the advance of prefabrication level, the carbon emissions from production and transportation processes increase, and the total carbon emissions of PBSC show an upward trend. Low-carbon practices of rational transportation route planning and carbon-reduction energy investment can effectively reduce carbon emissions with negative economic impacts on transportation enterprises. The application of sustainable materials in low-carbon practices is both economically and environmentally friendly. In addition, carbon tax does not always promote the implementation of low-carbon practices, and the improvement of enterprises' environmental awareness can further strengthen the effect of low-carbon practices.
Originality/value
This study dynamically assesses the carbon reduction effects of low-carbon practices in PBSC, informing the low-carbon decision-making of participants in building construction projects and guiding the government to formulate environmental policies.
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Chunguang Bai, Joseph Sarkis and Yijie Dou
This paper aims to introduce a joint DEMATEL and NK methodology to develop a process model for introducing and implementing relational supply chain practices for low-carbon supply…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce a joint DEMATEL and NK methodology to develop a process model for introducing and implementing relational supply chain practices for low-carbon supply chains. Using this process model as a guide, insights into specific practices and how to implement these relational practices to achieve competitive advantage across organizations are introduced.
Design/methodology/approach
Low-carbon cooperation practices framework based on the relational view is developed. A methodology based on DEMATEL and the NK model is used to construct a sequential process model for introducing and implementing these relational practices. Empirical data from three manufacturing organizations in China are utilized to validate the model.
Findings
Initial results provide a sequence of relational practices for guiding those organizations and their suppliers for healthy and low-carbon development. Interdependencies between relational practices are analyzed and evaluated from four aspects. Insights into the broader application of the methodology and initial results from both a research and managerial perspective are presented, especially with consideration of the China, an emerging economy, context.
Research limitations/implications
The methodology remains relatively abstract in nature, yet the tool can provide very useful interpretations and information for both researchers and practitioners.
Practical implications
This paper stipulates that in addition to internal operational practices, the relational practices between buyer and supplier may be equally important to achieve a low-carbon outcome, especially in supply chain setting. This paper also shows that not only the relational practice itself but also the implementation sequence of the relational practices can relate to performance. According to the authors’ initial results, organizations in this study should first develop product development cooperation, then exchange carbon knowledge and implement effective governance and last build a trust relationship with its suppliers for low-carbon cooperation.
Originality/value
This is one of the few approaches that directly evaluates and identifies the interdependencies among relational practices and to construct a process model for introducing and implementing low-carbon supply chain cooperation. It is also the first time that the NK model has been integrated with DEMATEL. Focusing on Chinese supply chain carbon emissions concerns is also a unique perspective.
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Chiranjit Das and Sanjay Jharkharia
The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relationships between low carbon supply chain practices and their relationships with environmental sustainability (ES) and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relationships between low carbon supply chain practices and their relationships with environmental sustainability (ES) and the economic performances (EP) of firms. The study also includes an examination of the low carbon supply chain practices that are utilized by Indian manufacturing firms.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a questionnaire-based survey, the data received from 83 Indian manufacturing firms was analyzed using a variance-based structural equation modeling technique to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The study indicates that carbon governance is a strategic imperative for the adoption of low carbon supply chain practices. Similarly, low carbon product and process design (LCPPD), manufacturing and logistics lead to improved ES. In addition, low carbon purchasing is positively related to the adoption of LCPPD, manufacturing and logistics. No significant relationship was found between the adoption of low carbon supply chain practices and the EP of a firm.
Practical implications
The findings of this study may assist manufacturing managers in prioritizing operational practices for the reduction of emissions.
Originality/value
This study provides two major contributions to green supply chain management. First, it provides comprehensive empirical evidence on low carbon supply chain practices that are being followed by Indian manufacturing firms. Second, this study also empirically validated a structural model of low carbon supply chain practices.
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Chinwe Isiadinso, Steve Goodhew, Julian Marsh and Mike Hoxley
The purpose of this paper is to report research conducted in the UK's East Midlands region which explores optimising practice for low carbon building through an architectural…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report research conducted in the UK's East Midlands region which explores optimising practice for low carbon building through an architectural award system.
Design/methodology/approach
To explore the complexity of the contexts, philosophies and demonstrations involved in best practice for low carbon buildings, a mixed research approach was adopted through an online survey and interviews with 13 experts.
Findings
The research provides practical means to evaluate low carbon buildings and suggests an approach where aesthetic design and technical compliance are given similar weightings. It also presents the opinions of construction professional practitioners and academics on best practice for low carbon buildings.
Research limitations/implications
The research focuses on investigating the judging criteria and opinions of construction professionals who have, in the past, strongly identified with sustainable building design practice.
Practical implications
As this research and other studies show, there is a need for a simple methodology and the use of existing tools to evaluate best practice for low carbon buildings.
Originality/value
The value of the paper lies in its purpose to establish a precedent for judging low carbon buildings through an architectural award system. Although there is a plethora of literature, tools and environmental assessment systems that point towards best practice, this research aims to highlight the underlying principles and combine these with practical methods that can enable the construction industry to achieve low carbon buildings.
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Marcelo Wilson Furlan Matos Alves, Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, Devika Kannan and Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour
Drawing on the theory of contingency, the aim of this work is to understand how supply chain-related contingencies, arising from climate change, are related to changes in the…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the theory of contingency, the aim of this work is to understand how supply chain-related contingencies, arising from climate change, are related to changes in the organisational structure of firms. Further, the authors explore how this relationship influences the perception of sustainability managers on the adoption of low-carbon operations management practices and their related benefits.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this goal, this research uses NVivo software to gather evidence from interviews conducted with ten high-level managers in sustainability and related areas from seven leading companies located in Brazil.
Findings
The authors present four primary results: a proposal of an original framework to understand the relationship between contingency theory, changes in organisational structure to embrace low-carbon management, adoption of low-carbon operations practices and benefits from this process; the discovery that an adequate low-carbon management structure is vital to improve the organisations’ perceptions of potential benefits from a low-carbon strategy; low-carbon management initiatives tend to emerge from an organisation’s existing environmental management systems; and controlling and monitoring climate contingencies at the supply chain level should be permanent and systematic.
Originality/value
Based on the knowledge of the authors, to date, this work is the first piece of research that deals with the complexity of putting together contingency theory, climate-change contingencies at the supply chain level, organisational structure for low-carbon management and low-carbon operations management practices and benefits. This research also highlights evidence from an emerging economy and registers future research propositions.
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Bin Shen, Xuemei Ding, Lizhu Chen and Hau Ling Chan
This paper aims to discuss the low carbon supply chain practices in China’s textile industry. To curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Chinese government has launched restrict…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the low carbon supply chain practices in China’s textile industry. To curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Chinese government has launched restrict regulatory system and imposed the energy consumption constraint in the textile industry to guarantee the achievability of low carbon economy. The authors aim to examine how the energy consumption constraint affects the optimal decisions of the supply chain members and address the supply chain coordination issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conduct two case studies from Chinese textile companies and examine the impact of energy consumption constraints on their production and operations management. Based on the real industrial practices, the authors then develop a simple analytical model for a low carbon supply chain in which it consists of one single retailer and one single manufacturer, and the manufacturer determines the choice of clean technology for energy efficiency improvement and emission reduction.
Findings
From the case studies, the authors find that the textile companies develop clean technologies to reduce carbon emission in production process under the energy consumption enforcement. In this analytical model, the authors derive the optimal decisions of the supply chain members and reveal that supply chain coordination can be achieved if the manufacturer properly sets the reservation wholesale price (WS) despite the production capacity can fulfill partial market demand under a WS (or cost sharing) contract. The authors also find that the cost-sharing contract may induce the manufacturer to increase the investment of clean technology and reduce the optimal WS.
Originality/value
This paper discusses low carbon supply chain practices in China’s textile industry and contributes toward green supply chain development. Managerial implications are identified, which are beneficial to the entire textile industry in the developing countries.
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Linqi Xu, Fu Jia, Xiao Lin and Lujie Chen
This study aims to systematically review the current academic literature on the role of technologies in low-carbon supply chain management (SCM), identify and analyse critical…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to systematically review the current academic literature on the role of technologies in low-carbon supply chain management (SCM), identify and analyse critical themes and propose an integrated conceptual model.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review of 48 papers published between 2010 and 2022 was conducted. A conceptual model was advanced.
Findings
Based on the analysis and synthesis of the reviewed papers, this review provides an initial attempt to integrate technology adoption and low-carbon SCM by developing a diffusion of innovation model of technology-enabled low-carbon SCM within the technology–organisation–environment (TOE) framework, in which drivers, enablers and barriers to technology adoption practices are identified. The environmental, economic and social outcomes of adoption practices are also identified.
Originality/value
This study provides a novel and comprehensive roadmap for future research on technology-enabled low-carbon SCM. Furthermore, policy, as well as managerial implications, is presented for policymakers and managers.
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Warehouses are large emitters of greenhouse gases and their impact on climate change is under increasing focus. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers that…
Abstract
Purpose
Warehouses are large emitters of greenhouse gases and their impact on climate change is under increasing focus. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers that inhibit the adoption of low-carbon warehousing in Asia-Pacific and their links to carbon abatement performance.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory conceptual model was first developed from a literature review of the general barriers to sustainable supply chain practices and hence potentially in low-carbon warehousing. A large contract logistics services provider in the Asia-Pacific served as the subject of a case study. The perceived barriers to low-carbon warehousing were derived from an internal survey of respondents from the case company and regressed against carbon abatement outcomes at that organization’s operations across the region.
Findings
Results show that the case company reduced carbon emissions by 36 percent on a revenue-normalized basis between 2008 and 2014, but with relatively lower success in emerging markets vs mature markets. An Elastic Net regression analysis confirms that technology and government-related factors are the most important barriers in the case company’s efforts to “decarbonize” its local warehousing operations. However, results suggest that the customer-related barrier, which is highly correlated with the government barrier, is in part driven by the latter.
Research limitations/implications
This case study is based on a single multinational company in Asia-Pacific, but nonetheless serves as an impetus for more cross-sectional studies to form an industry-wide view.
Originality/value
An extended stewardship framework based on the natural resource-based view has been proposed, in which logistics services providers take on a proactive boundary-spanning role to lower the external barriers to low-carbon warehousing.
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N.K. Mustaffa, S.A. Kudus and M.F.H.A. Aziz
There is a growing awareness of the dangers of climate change and global warming due to increasing energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Campus universities…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a growing awareness of the dangers of climate change and global warming due to increasing energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Campus universities are critical for implementing low-carbon development efficiently, given the large population and socio-economic activities concentrated on campus. This paper aims to explore the existing campus management initiatives and recommends holistic driving elements towards successful low-carbon campus development.
Design/methodology/approach
This study’s triangulation of information was supplemented by contributions from 116 respondents on the UiTM Shah Alam campus and eight professional interviews with stakeholders involved in low-carbon campus projects.
Findings
The study reported that low-carbon strategies had been implemented on the UiTM Shah Alam campus, with most existing programmes and activities focusing on low-hanging fruit initiatives. Moreover, the findings indicate that financial, cultural, behavioural, organisational and physical constraints are critical challenges to effectively implementing low-carbon approaches. The proposed techniques suggest that generating green funding, defining clear targets, developing standard procedures for carbon assessment and monitoring, also boosting education and outreach programmes lead to the improvement of low-carbon campus efforts.
Practical implications
The outcomes of this paper offer perspective to campus administration and community into an evaluation of current approaches and strategies for merging low-carbon systems. The effectiveness of low-carbon implementation was ensured by addressing issues concerning low-carbon uptake and fostering low-carbon improvement.
Originality/value
Besides providing a better understanding of techniques to implementing low-carbon development in Malaysia, the critical hurdles and driving factors, the output from this study adds to the existing knowledge available concerning the campus community’s existing comprehension.
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Sudhir Ambekar, Anand Prakash and Vishal Singh Patyal
The purpose of this paper is to propose a low carbon culture (LCC) adoption model for gaining the right carbon capabilities by integrating the dimensions of flexibility or control…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a low carbon culture (LCC) adoption model for gaining the right carbon capabilities by integrating the dimensions of flexibility or control and external or internal of competing values framework (CVF) with that of level of carbon emission (LCE).
Design/methodology/approach
This study reviewed literature related to low carbon supply chain, CVF and carbon capabilities to synthesize currently available frameworks for assessing culture and carbon-related insights. Based on these insights, this study proposes the carbon culture adoption model and presents some research propositions.
Findings
This study has extended categorization of culture suggested in CVF from four categories to eight distinct categories by adding “LCE” as a third dimension. The new categories of carbon culture are: “Red,” “Antagonist,” “Obligatory,” “Early Adopter,” “Follower,” “Transitive,” “Pragmatist” and “Green.” This categorization of organizations would help in selecting appropriate low carbon practices (LCPs).
Research limitations/implications
This study presents purely conceptual framework with some research propositions which needs to be empirically tested.
Practical implications
Organizations can formulate right policies for low carbon capabilities based on the LCC of their supply chain.
Originality/value
With increasing awareness about environment across stakeholders, organizations around the world are under pressure to reduce their carbon footprints. The extent of reduction in carbon footprints depends on the right capabilities across the supply chain which in turn depends on selection of the right combination of LCPs based on the supply chain culture.
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