Blockchain Practices, Potentials, and Perspectives in Greening Supply Chains

TLDR

Blockchain technology, still emerging and rapidly gaining popularity, is widely applied in supply chains and holds promise for enhancing sustainability, though its environmental benefits are only beginning to be explored. The paper aims to advance discussion and encourage further practice and research on green supply chains using blockchain technology. It offers a viewpoint on blockchain’s key dimensions, outlines use cases and issues, and identifies research areas for future investigation.

Abstract

Blockchain technology is an inchoate technology whose current popularity is peaking. Some of the most pervasive blockchain technology use cases exist for supply chains. Sustainable, and especially green, supply chains can benefit from blockchain technology, but there are also caveats. The sustainability and environmental management research and academic literature is only starting to investigate this emergent field. This paper seeks to help advance the discussion and motivate additional practice and research related to green supply chains and blockchain technology. This viewpoint paper provides insight into some of the main dimensions of blockchain technology, an overview of the use cases and issues, and some general research areas for further investigation.