Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to explore the environmental impact of Logistics Service Provider (LSP) activities in the light of increased customer attention and fragmentation of the industry. We try to answer the question, to what extent the LSPs can actually monitor
the environmental impact of logistics activities in the supply chain?
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology of this paper is a literature review, a qualitative interview survey, and three case studies. A framework on sustainability challenges in supply chains derived from the literature is used to structure and analyze the findings.
Findings
Our findings reveal that despite ambitious environmental schemes communicated by several LSPs, LSPs exert very little control over the actual emissions created from their transport operations. Furthermore, it is clear from this study that any real interest in
environmental solutions that impact the cost and time requirements from customers of logistics services are not yet a reality.
Research limitations/implications
This paper implies that LSP sustainability cannot be investigated in isolation if a company does not manage proprietary resources.
Practical implications
Our findings imply that environmental policies between different LSPs appear similar, but in practice differs, which stresses the importance of follow-up control by environmentally aware logistics service buyers.
Originality/value
This paper represents a novel approach as to how LSP environmental policies should be viewed.
The purpose of this article is to explore the environmental impact of Logistics Service Provider (LSP) activities in the light of increased customer attention and fragmentation of the industry. We try to answer the question, to what extent the LSPs can actually monitor
the environmental impact of logistics activities in the supply chain?
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology of this paper is a literature review, a qualitative interview survey, and three case studies. A framework on sustainability challenges in supply chains derived from the literature is used to structure and analyze the findings.
Findings
Our findings reveal that despite ambitious environmental schemes communicated by several LSPs, LSPs exert very little control over the actual emissions created from their transport operations. Furthermore, it is clear from this study that any real interest in
environmental solutions that impact the cost and time requirements from customers of logistics services are not yet a reality.
Research limitations/implications
This paper implies that LSP sustainability cannot be investigated in isolation if a company does not manage proprietary resources.
Practical implications
Our findings imply that environmental policies between different LSPs appear similar, but in practice differs, which stresses the importance of follow-up control by environmentally aware logistics service buyers.
Originality/value
This paper represents a novel approach as to how LSP environmental policies should be viewed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 26th Conference of the Nordic Logistics Research Network: NOFOMA 2014, |
| Editors | Britta Gammelgaard, Günter Prockl, Aseem Kinra, Jesper Aastrup, Peter Holm Andreasen, Hans-Joachim Schramm, Juliana Hsuan, Malek Malouf, Andreas Wieland |
| Pages | 201-218 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
| Event | 26th Annual NOFOMA Conference, 2014 - Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Duration: 2014 Jun 11 → 2014 Jun 13 Conference number: 26 |
Conference
| Conference | 26th Annual NOFOMA Conference, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Denmark |
| City | Copenhagen |
| Period | 2014/06/11 → 2014/06/13 |
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
- Other Mechanical Engineering
Free keywords
- environment
- logistics
- logistics service provider
- LSP
- supply chain
- sustainability