Green Supply Chain Management, Green Innovation, and Carbon-Neutral Performance: A Meta-Analytic Examination of the Moderating Role of Sustainability Metrics

The accelerating global transition toward low-carbon production and sustainable value chains has intensified interest in practices that enhance environmental performance, particularly green supply chain management (GSCM) and green innovation (GI). Although these practices are widely promoted, empirical findings regarding how GSCM influences GI and carbon-neutral supply chain performance (CNSCP) remain dispersed and context-dependent. This study aims to synthesize and clarify these relationships by conducting a systematic meta-analysis grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV). Analyzing 24 studies published between 2017 and 2025, the research investigates the direct effects of GSCM on GI and CNSCP and examines the moderating roles of key sustainability metrics—CO2 emissions, renewable energy use, carbon tax, Frontier Technologies Index (FTI), and Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI)—across low- and high-income countries. The findings reveal that GSCM significantly enhances both GI and CNSCP. Furthermore, strong sustainability infrastructures and stringent regulatory environments in high-income countries amplify these relationships, whereas infrastructure deficiencies and weaker regulatory systems in low-income countries limit their strength. These results demonstrate that sustainability metrics meaningfully condition the effectiveness of GSCM practices. Overall, this study highlights the strategic importance of GSCM in fostering CNSCP and provides theoretical insights and practical recommendations for policymakers, managers, and governments seeking to achieve long-term carbon neutrality goals.