Unveiling Green Supply Chain Practices: A Bibliometric Analysis and Unfolding Emerging Trends

Supply chain management is a multi-dimensional approach. Growing eco-consciousness has forced businesses to optimize operations and incorporate green practices across all the stages of supply chain in manufacturing and service sectors. Reviewing the past research literature propels us to understand its current and future prospects. Employing a systematic analysis, this research explores the intellectual structure of green supply chain practices and their connection to performance outcomes in various industries. This study covers a systematic literature review, content analysis, and bibliometric analysis on green supply chain management using VosViewer. It utilizes a PRISMA-guided screening method for identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion of literature from the literature available since 1999. The bibliometric analysis reveals key contributors, thematic clusters, prevailing theoretical frameworks, and emerging research trends in the domain of green supply chain management. China, followed by the United States and the United Kingdom, emerged as leading contributors to research in this area, driven by rapid economic growth, heightened environmental concerns, and well-established academic and industrial infrastructures. The study identifies eight thematic clusters within green supply chain management, including the triple bottom line, circular economy, and carbon emissions. The most highly cited papers within these clusters were examined for their methodologies, tools, and key findings, highlighting the prominent theories utilized in this field. Moreover, the research discusses how advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain, and big data analytics are poised to transform supply chains by enhancing decision-making and mitigating risks, thus playing a pivotal role in the future of green supply chain management.