Sustainable Supply Chain Finance: A Multiple Case Study

Wei Zhou and Donato Masi ()
Additional contact information
Wei Zhou: School of Management, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Donato Masi: Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-22

Abstract: Digitalization and Industry 4.0 are transforming supply chain operations worldwide. However, traditional supply chain finance (SCF) practices often overlook sustainability. This study explores how SCF, supported by Industry 4.0 technologies, can enhance supply chain sustainability by integrating the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. By examining five real-world cases using a qualitative case study approach, we develop a conceptual framework that captures the roles and interrelationships among key actors in sustainable supply chain finance (SSCF). This study employed cognitive mapping to visually synthesize these complex processes. The findings reveal that innovative technologies, stakeholder engagement, and targeted financial incentives can drive sustainable improvements across supply chains. The insights from this research offer valuable guidance for practitioners and policymakers and provide a foundation for future empirical studies.

Keywords: sustainable supply chain management; cognitive mapping; supply chain finance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4862/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4862/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4862-:d:1664483

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().