Beyond the Hype: A Systematic Exploration of Emerging Thematic Trends and Persistent Challenges in Combating Greenwashing Across Global Supply Chains

Vivian Cherono, Md. Tota Miah (), Ildikó Rudnák and Szűcs Csaba
Additional contact information
Vivian Cherono: Doctoral School of Economic and Regional Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Páter Károly u. 1, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
Md. Tota Miah: Doctoral School of Economic and Regional Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Páter Károly u. 1, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
Ildikó Rudnák: Department of Agricultural Management and Leadership Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Páter Károly u. 1, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
Szűcs Csaba: Doctoral School of Economic and Regional Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Páter Károly u. 1, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary

Administrative Sciences, 2025, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-27

Abstract: This study aimed to determine how research has highlighted greenwashing in supply chains by identifying emerging themes and pinpointing gaps that must be addressed in combating greenwashing in global supply chains. Using the PRISMA framework, 58 papers published up to 2024 were critically examined. Through this review, five key emerging themes are presented: standardization of regulatory policies, technological innovations for transparency, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, the role of NGOs in monitoring greenwashing incidences, and industry-specific case studies. The study also identified a dearth of research on industry-specific cases, regional disparities, the implementation of technological innovations for supply chain transparency, and the role of supply chain stakeholders in reducing greenwashing, with only a few papers highlighting NGOs and government. We propose a conceptual framework for combating greenwashing and to promote sustainability in global supply chain operations, paving the way for further academic exploration. We also suggest solutions as well as a guide for future researchers to explore areas that are still underdeveloped and offer recommendations to supply chain policymakers on addressing greenwashing.

Keywords: greenwashing; supply chains; systematic review; PRISMA; transparency; environmental; social; and governance (ESG); standardization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/5/173/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/5/173/ (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:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:5:p:173-:d:1648950

Access Statistics for this article

Administrative Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Nancy Ma

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