Sustainable Management of Logistics and Supply Chain

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue, titled “Sustainable Management of Logistics and Supply Chain”, in the journal Sustainability.

This Special Issue focuses on advancing research regarding the sustainable management of logistics and supply chains in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) global context. The growing complexity of supply chain systems, combined with digital transformation, climate-related disruptions, regulatory pressure, and heightened stakeholder scrutiny, has intensified the need for integrated sustainability approaches that balance environmental responsibility, economic viability, and social well-being. While sustainability initiatives have traditionally emphasised efficiency and environmental performance, there is increasing recognition that long-term sustainability also depends on workforce conditions, governance practices, transparency, and responsible innovation.

This Special Issue seeks interdisciplinary contributions that explore how sustainability can be embedded into logistics and supply chain management at both the strategic and operational levels. Conceptual and empirical studies are welcomed that examine the role of digital technologies, organisational practices, and governance mechanisms in enabling resilient, responsible, and transparent supply chains. Particular attention is given to emerging challenges such as environmental risk management, climate resilience, greenwashing, sustainability reporting, and the application of advanced, human-centred digital technologies.

By collating diverse perspectives and methodologies, this Special Issue aims to support the development of logistics and supply chain systems that are competitive, accountable, and aligned with long-term sustainability and ESG objectives. 

Key topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Digital transformation strategies for sustainable supply chains;
• Human-centred and responsible digital technologies in logistics operations;
• AI, data analytics, and digital tools for ESG monitoring, transparency, and decision-making;
• Digital technologies supporting circular economy and green logistics practices;
• Blockchain, IoT, and AI for quality management, compliance, and stakeholder integration;
• Environmental risk management, resilience, and climate-related disruptions in supply chains;
• Greenwashing, sustainability reporting, and transparency challenges in supply chains;
• Socially responsible supply chain management and workforce-related sustainability issues;
• Responsible innovation, ethics, and human rights in VUCA-exposed supply chains;
• Governance models and stakeholder collaboration for sustainable supply chain management;
• Data-driven approaches and analytics for sustainability assessments in supply chains.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Daisy Valle Enrique
Dr. Douglas S. Rodrigues
Dr. Sónia Rosana Alves de Brito
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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.