The devil in the detail: how can environmental justice improve theorization for sustainable supply chain management?

Purpose Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) research has often adopted instrumental logic whereby sustainability helps defend profitability. Recently, environmental justice (EJ) has been proposed as grounds for a new approach to SSCM. This research aims to explore Schlosberg’s environmental justice framework to aid theorization via the empirical investigation of a major international supply chain sustainability initiative. Design/methodology/approach Using multimodal critical discourse analysis, the authors examined 142 videos published by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, a multi-stakeholder initiative (MSI) actively promoting elements of EJ across multiple supply chain levels. Findings EJ principles (distributional, recognitional, procedural and the capability approach) are strongly embedded in the MSI discourse but operationalized as instrumental. This means achieving EJ is seen as helping to defend profitability. The study further found various contradictions presented in the EJ discourse and that public policy interventions, notably the 2023 European Union Deforestation-free Products Directive, have been seen as risking EJ, leading to concern. The interplay between instrumental profit-maximization and noninstrumental public goals (e.g. on climate and biodiversity) for advancing supply chain justice are discussed to aid future research. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence on how environmental justice is framed and enacted through instrumental propositions. This counters prior claims suggesting justice is inherently noninstrumental. Furthermore, evidence on how EJ outcomes are affected by changes to public policy highlights the importance of mandatory requirements.