Taking Academic Ownership of the Supply Chain Emissions Discourse

Abstract

The climate crisis requires a focus on supply chain emissions—both upstream and downstream. Although supply chain emissions typically account for the majority of a company's greenhouse gas emissions, the discipline of supply chain management (SCM) has yet to fully engage in this discourse, leaving substantial research opportunities untapped. This editorial calls upon SCM scholars to take responsibility and actively engage in the study of supply chain emissions by proposing a comprehensive research agenda. The authors explore emerging corporate interventions aimed at reducing supply chain emissions. They develop a framework categorizing these interventions as either collaborative or authoritative, targeting behavioral or operational changes. Based on this framework, research opportunities within SCM are then discussed, following four different styles of theorizing—propositional, processual, perspectival and provocative—to promote theoretical advancements. By embracing this research agenda, the SCM discipline can play a critical role in the supply chain emissions discourse and have a strong societal impact.