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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 15200

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michael Madas

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Guest Editor

Information Systems and e-Business Laboratory (ISeB), Department of Applied Informatics, School of Information Sciences, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: supply chain management; transportation policy and performance benchmarking; sustainable logistics; ICT applications in logistics and transport

Dr. Vasilis Zeimpekis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Financial & Management Engineering, School of Engineering, University of the Aegean, 82100 Chios, Greece
Interests: freight transportation; city logistics; last-mile delivery; warehouse optimization; logistics 4.0; digital twin; logistics information systems; sustainable logistics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

While sustainability challenges have become critical all over the world, companies and organizations are constantly struggling to develop environmentally friendly and socially responsible logistics operations. Commitment to the natural environment, society, and the economy (i.e., the three pilars of sustainability) has become of paramount importance. Therefore, the interest in developing green logistics from companies and other stakeholders is increasing dramatically, particularly because traditional logistics cannot really meet the requirements of modern society, while simultaneously being a major contributor in the degradation of the natural environment and climate change. Innovative green logistics actions and practices may involve the use of environmentally friedly vehicles, shared logistics, consolidation centers, low-emission zones, smart waste collection strategies, cargo bikes, environmental/carbon footprint measurement, and reduction strategies, to name a few. Furthermore, the essential role and substantial impact of smart logistics and advanced ICT applications toward sustainability should be also recognized.

This Special Issue will examine the link between sustainability and logistics operations and will focus on the rise of new business, economic, and technological trends in sustainable logistics, the importance of environmentally friendly logistics processes to support more sustainable operations, and the effects of shaping the future of the sustainable economy. In this Special Issue, we are seeking to address research questions on topics including but not limited to sustainable logistics infrastructures, warehouse and transportation strategies, logistics information systems and smart ICT logistics applications, logistics equipment, optimization methods and techniques, best practices, and case studies in all industries in support of the concept of sustainable economy and green logistics.

Dr. Michael Madas
Dr. Vasilis Zeimpekis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable logistics
green logistics
carbon footprint
environmental sustainability
sustainable development
reverse logistics
circular economy
zero waste management

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 392 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors and Formation Path of Cross-Border E-Commerce Logistics Mode Selection

by Zejian Li, Guangrong Gao, Xiong Xiao and Hongwu Zuo

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3685; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15043685 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3390

Abstract

Choosing a suitable cross-border logistics mode is the foundation for cross-border e-commerce enterprises to achieve sustainable development. Based on an analysis of the literature, the cross-border logistics modes are summarized as postal parcel, international express, overseas warehouse, and special line logistics modes. Using the multi-value set qualitative comparative analysis (mvQCA) method to explore the factors and formation paths of logistics mode selection of cross-border e-commerce enterprises, the results include the following: (1) The choice of logistics mode is the result of multiple condition variables, and the formation paths of different logistics mode selection vary. (2) The postal parcel mode is most selected by small and medium-sized B2C cross-border e-commerce enterprises; the overseas warehouse and special line modes are most selected by large and medium-sized ones with high logistics service capacity. (3) The international express mode is selected by B2C cross-border e-commerce enterprises of all sizes, and there is no typical formation path. The results indicate that cross-border e-commerce enterprises should have clear positioning and select the most suitable logistics mode, as only in this way can cross-border e-commerce and logistics enterprises jointly achieve sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Economy and Green Logistics)

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27 pages, 9446 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Sustainable Location Model of Transshipment Terminals Applied to the Expansion Strategies of the Soybean Intermodal Transport Network in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

by Gustavo Rodrigues de Morais, Yuri Clements Daglia Calil, Gabriel Faria de Oliveira, Rodney Rezende Saldanha and Carlos Andrey Maia

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1063; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15021063 - 06 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1625

Abstract

The transport system is one of the main bottlenecks of the world’s largest producer and exporter of soybeans, Brazil. Long-distance truck transportation of grains increases costs, food waste, and CO

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emissions. To handle these problems, the Brazilian government seeks to expand the [...] Read more.

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emissions. To handle these problems, the Brazilian government seeks to expand the transportation system through the national transport logistics plan (PNLT), promoting efficient operations. Collaborating on the environmental aspect, this paper proposes sustainable logistic infrastructure for soybean transportation. Investigating the largest grain-producing state in the world, Mato Grosso (Brazil), we show the optimal location for capacitated transshipment terminals untangling the relationship between logistics and sustainability. Besides handling cargo truck costs and CO

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emission, the optimization model considers cities, road distances, transshipment terminals existents, terminals capacities, implementing costs, and locations near waterways and railways. In five scenarios with different combinations of waterways and railways, we contrast the cost of installing terminals and the total road distance traveled under different weights for the environmental components. The results indicate that it is possible to simultaneously obtain the minimum cost of installing transshipment terminals and to reduce emissions by 20% in all analyzed scenarios. We conclude that obtaining strategic solutions at lower costs can be combined with proper environmental responsibility. As contributions, the results allow for advances in the area of sustainable logistics, encouraging the development of new research in Brazil involving the dimensions of sustainability. In addition, the study supports the government’s strategic decisions regarding ongoing discussions on expanding the intermodal soy transport network in the country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Economy and Green Logistics)

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16 pages, 1086 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability Performance Appraisal for Airports Serving Tourist Islands

by Aristi Karagkouni and Dimitrios Dimitriou

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13363; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142013363 - 17 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1417

Abstract

Air transport infrastructure development is crucial for economic and social growth. Regional airports connecting remote, tourist destinations such as islands provide important services and boost global and local commerce networks. Airport authorities intend to maximize expansion while limiting environmental impacts. Regional airports may achieve efficient environmental management by applying sustainable practices and developing long-term strategies. The purpose of this paper is the development of an in-depth comparison and assessment of the environmental sustainability performance of a number of regional airports in terms of the environmental impacts that are caused by their operations and their demand patterns. The evaluation methodology is based on the identification of evidence about the incorporation of key environmental management performance aspects in the environmental reports of the top five regional tourist airports in the Mediterranean islands. The most important finding was that airports, despite requiring an efficient and forward-thinking environmental management plan in order to address the environmental impact that they have, do not prioritize their environmental performance management issues. The conventional wisdom is to provide a framework for evaluating tourist airports’ performance toward environmental mitigation efforts, promote best practices, and benchmark sustainability for regions heavily dependent on tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Economy and Green Logistics)

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15 pages, 3656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Calculation and Assessment of CO_2e Emissions in Road Freight Transportation: A Greek Case Study

by Anastasios Gialos, Vasileios Zeimpekis, Michael Madas and Konstantinos Papageorgiou

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10724; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141710724 - 29 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2174

Abstract

Road freight transportation is already contributing significantly to global warming, and its emissions are predicted to grow dramatically in the following years. Carbon footprint calculation can be used to assess CO_2e emissions to understand how an organization’s activities impact global sustainability. To this end, the main objective of this paper is initially to assess the impact of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions stemming from road freight transportation. Subsequently, we adopt the EN 16258 standard to calculate the carbon footprint of a truck fleet of a freight transport operator in Greece. Based on the obtained results, we assess the performance of the company’s fleet by adopting relevant sustainability indicators. We also evaluate the use of CNG as an alternative fuel and its impact on CO_2e emissions and operational costs. The paper concludes with a list of additional measures toward further reduction and offsetting of CO_2e emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Economy and Green Logistics)

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14 pages, 747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mode Choice Modeling for Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery: The Greek Perspective

by Amalia Polydoropoulou, Athena Tsirimpa, Ioannis Karakikes, Ioannis Tsouros and Ioanna Pagoni

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 8976; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14158976 - 22 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2345

Abstract

As the private sector is under heavy pressure to serve the ever-growing e-commerce market, the potential of implementing new disruptive mobility/logistics services for increasing the level of the current last-mile delivery (LMD) services, is emerging. Vehicle automation technology, characterized by high-capacity utilization and asset intensity, appears to be a prominent response to easing this pressure, while contributing to mitigation of the adverse effects associated with the deployment of LMD activities. This research studied the perceptions of Greek end-users/consumers, regarding the introduction of autonomous/automated/driverless vehicles (AVs) in innovative delivery services. To achieve this, a mixed logit model was developed, based on a Stated Preferences (SP) experiment, designed to capture the demand of alternative last-mile delivery modes/services, such as drones, pods, and autonomous vans, compared to traditional delivery services. The results show that the traditional delivery, i.e., having a dedicated delivery person who picks up the parcels at a consolidation point and delivers them directly to the recipients while driving a non-autonomous vehicle—conventional van, bike, e-bike, e-scooter—remains the most acceptable delivery method. Moreover, the analysis indicated that there is no interest yet in deploying home deliveries with drones or AVs, and that participants are unwilling to pay extra charges for having access to more advanced last-mile delivery modes/services. Thus, it is important to promote the benefits of innovative modes and services for LMD, in order to increase public awareness and receptivity in Greece. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Economy and Green Logistics)

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18 pages, 1588 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process Model to Evaluate Logistics Service Expectations and Delivery Methods in Last-Mile Delivery in Brazil

by Fernanda Alves de Araújo, João Gilberto Mendes dos Reis, Marcia Terra da Silva and Emel Aktas

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 5753; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14105753 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2888

Abstract

Nowadays, postal services and third-party logistics services (3PL) have been pressured by the increasing demand for delivery services. Therefore, they need to improve their last-mile delivery strategies to meet customers’ expectations. This paper aims to investigate how logistics service expectations affect the delivery process in urban areas using a multiple-criteria decision support system based on the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). We developed a decision-making model employing six criteria and five delivery methods indicated in the literature and collected information from 27 experts working in academia and local and multinational third-party logistics providers in Brazil to validate this model. The results indicate that cost (21.4%) and tracking and tracing (19.3%) are the most important two criteria in the decision model, and the best delivery methods are smart lockers (21.8%) followed by small trucks (21.3%). Our results suggest that service expectations regarding last-mile delivery are aligned with extensive use of road transport and the increase in e-commerce sales can raise greenhouse gas emissions and compromise the environment in urban areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Economy and Green Logistics)

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