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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 55224

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Florian Kellner

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Computer Science, TH Rosenheim, 83024 Rosenheim, Germany
Interests: data science; business analytics; sustainable operations; green logistics; transport modelling; game theory
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapidly growing number of research studies and business cases prove that sustainability considerations are attracting increased attention in the domains of operations and logistics, both in research and in practice. This is not surprising, as sustainable operations and logistics may contribute significantly to an overall sustainable development meeting the future generations’ needs while taking economic, environmental, and social aspects into account.

Aim and Scope of the Special Issue

The aim of this Special Issue is to contribute to sustainable development by presenting innovative approaches and applications as well as empirical findings for integrating sustainability aspects into the operations and logistics sector. The following list provides an illustrative set of topics and paper types suitable for this Special Issue, but is far from being exhaustive. Any questions about the suitability of a topic may be directed to the Special Issue Guest Editor.

Methodological papers: Novel approaches for integrating and/or balancing sustainability aspects in decision-making processes from the operations and logistics sector (e.g., facility location or supplier selection decisions); development of decisions support systems.
Conceptual papers: Innovative approaches for operations and logistics system analyses with a special focus on one-, two-, or three-dimensional sustainability (one-dimensional: e.g., environmental; two-dimensional: e.g., environmental and economic).
Innovative data collection and processing approaches for sustainable system analyses and decision making in the operations and logistics sector.
Transport systems analyses with a focus on environmental and social sustainability aspects (air, maritime, land).
Empirical papers/computational analyses.
Real-word applications/case studies.
Systematic literature reviews: This may cover the topics listed above, that is, literature reviews on approaches for integrating sustainability aspects into operations and logistics decision-making situations, presentations of real-world applications/best practices, empirical studies, and so forth.

Dr. Florian Kellner
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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-blind 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.

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Keywords

sustainable operations
sustainable logistics
sustainable supply chain management
green transportation
sustainable decision making

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2365 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Construction Logistics in Urban Areas: A Framework for Assessing the Suitability of the Implementation of Construction Consolidation Centres

by Victoria Muerza and Cindy Guerlain

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7349; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137349 - 30 Jun 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4589

Abstract

Transport in construction is responsible for up to 30% of freight movement in cities, with a subsequent impact in terms of pollutant emissions. Different solutions have been provided to alleviate the negative impact of freight transport related to construction activity, although no guidance has been provided for replicability in cities. One solution whose potential benefits are being studied with the support of policy makers is Construction Consolidation Centres (CCC). This paper proposes a method based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and provides an index based on 45 indicators to evaluate the suitability of the implementation of a CCC in terms of the pillars of sustainability in combination with a technical pillar. Three real construction projects were assessed in Luxembourg City, Paris, and Valencia. Two critical attributes were identified: the estimated operational costs of the construction company and the potential demand level in the area. The results of the analysis allow for: (i) the extraction of knowledge related to the sustainability of the construction project, and (ii) logistics to be integrated into the planning and design stages of the construction activity. Furthermore, a general structure is also proposed for integrating other construction solutions where CCC is not suitable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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19 pages, 4237 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Port Greening: Discrete Choice Analysis Investigation on Environmental Parameters Affecting Container Shipping Companies’ Behaviors

by Lorenzo Franchi and Thierry Vanelslander

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7010; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137010 - 22 Jun 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2690

Abstract

For centuries, ports have functioned as an economic engine, facilitating maritime transport, offering prosperity and social development to the host communities. Ports are gateways for international trade playing a vital role in the world economy, but it is not excluded that port operations can also have adverse effects on the environment. Air and water emissions, marine sediments, noise, waste generation, loss and degradation of terrestrial habitats and changes to marine ecosystems are just some of the leading environmental challenges with port’s operations. Environmental management within port operations has been a rapidly growing trend, with many ports around the world adopting different types of approaches and initiatives to improve ecological performance. Despite that many ports around the world have implemented greening strategies for growth and sustainable development, there are still many other ports that work less than they should do on environmental aspects and on the generation of ‘green ports’. These latter have fallen behind in the development of the theme. Therefore, the work reported here aims at analyzing what the best way to act should be, even starting from the beginning for a port that is not very innovative, in order to pursue the practical and theoretical levels of ‘green port’. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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18 pages, 682 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Super SBM Network DEA for Assessing Sustainability Performance of Third-Party Logistics Service Providers Considering Circular Economy Strategies in the Era of Industry 4.0

by Mahsa Pishdar, Masoumeh Danesh Shakib, Jurgita Antucheviciene and Arvydas Vilkonis

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6497; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116497 - 7 Jun 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4859

Abstract

Stakeholders are increasingly aware of the aspect of sustainability, and the fact that the circular economy facilitates the achievement of sustainable development goals. They place pressure on supply chains to become sustainable, and for this reason, third-party logistics (3PL) service providers, as specialized professionals, play a vital role in sustainable supply chain management. Although developments in technology in the era of Industry 4.0 have been effective at directing 3PLs along the path towards sustainability, integrated management of forward and reverse logistics systems in order to achieve a circular economy and to become sustainable remains a problem, even in developed countries. However, benchmarking and using the experiences of others can help to speed up this path at a minimal cost. An interval type-2 fuzzy super-slack-based measure network DEA was developed to make such benchmarking possible. Governance style, staff behavior, environmental management systems, and social elements are considered, alongside the principles of the circular economy, in order to compare the sustainability performance of 17 3PLs with respect to different aspects through the application of the developed DEA model. Proper benchmarking with respect to strategies and operations of the 3PLs that are recognized as efficient makes it possible for these 3PLs to overcome obstacles and progress at a lower cost. The results show that 3PLs do not have a comprehensive sustainability strategy that is coordinated with an overall vision of the total supply chain. An investigation into the development of a framework with multiple steps for the guidance of 3PLs, as well as the whole supply chain, towards sustainability in the Industry 4.0 era would be a fruitful next study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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24 pages, 2116 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Supplier Selection of Prefabricated Building Elements from the Perspective of Sustainable Development

by Yinghui Song, Junwu Wang, Feng Guo, Jiequn Lu and Sen Liu

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6080; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116080 - 28 May 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3889

Abstract

Prefabricated building is an efficient building mode. Compared with the traditional building mode, the prefabricated building has advantages of less pollution, high construction efficiency, being more labor-saving, and economy, which is in line with China’s sustainable development strategy. This paper proposes a supplier selection evaluation model based on the mechanism equation model (SEM) and intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (IFAHP). Based on a detailed literature review, 300 structured questionnaires were distributed to the relevant enterprises, and an evaluation index system of prefabricated building element suppliers was built. With the fitting and modification process using a structural equation model, and assist of a path factor, an evaluation index system for evaluating the prefabricated building element suppliers was finally obtained. Finally, the intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was used to establish a selection model of prefabricated element suppliers, and the prefabricated element suppliers of Shuangyashan prefabricated construction projects were analyzed as a case study. The results show that the following factors have the most significant impact on supplier selection (from high to low): quality, economy, long-term cooperation, after-sales, and transportation. This study had a comprehensive consideration of the influencing factors existing in the whole selection process and should provide a valuable reference for the sustainable development of prefabricated construction engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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13 pages, 966 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supply Chain Ambidexterity and Green SCM: Moderating Role of Network Capabilities

by Asif Khan, Chih-Cheng Chen, Kuan-Hua Lu, Ardy Wibowo, Shih-Chih Chen and Athapol Ruangkanjanases

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5974; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115974 - 26 May 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5076

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine how supply chain ambidexterity facilitates assistance for green supply chain management and to build on previous work by evaluating how networking capability helps to explain the impact of supply chain ambidexterity on GSCM. This study focuses on the top-level management of different manufacturing companies located in Pakistan. A total of 34 manufacturing industries were selected using a cluster sampling technique. The data collected from 125 top-level managers were analyzed using a partial least square method, while the moderation analysis was conducted by using variance analysis. First, supply chain ambidexterity positively influences green supply chain management. However, networking capabilities do not moderate the relationship between supply chain ambidexterity and green supply chain management. This research was restricted to manufacturing industries in Pakistan because the research intended to gain an understanding of the several supply chain ambidexterity practices in Pakistani businesses and wanted to determine how these practices are associated with various parts of GSCM. Further studies can be extended to examine the impact in other industrial settings and countries. The findings of this research study will allow the managers to identify the right mix of exploitation and exploration techniques required to manage the supply chain in a green and sustainable manner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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15 pages, 3947 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of International Trade-Related Transport CO₂ Emissions—A Logistics Responsibility Perspective

by Đurđica Stojanović, Jelena Ivetić and Marko Veličković

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031138 - 22 Jan 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4415

Abstract

International supply chains generate substantial amounts of CO₂ emissions. However, established methodologies for national freight transport emission assessments do not consider such international perspectives sufficiently. This research aims to show how logistic responsibility may be used in ex post transport CO₂ emission assessments, for macrologistic or supply chain levels. We propose an original approach to estimate and allocate CO₂ emissions generated by international freight transport between trade countries. The proposed method relies on the applied Incoterms^® rules in sales contracts. A new indicator, the index of responsibility for transport emissions (RTE-index), is introduced to allocate bilateral trade-related transport CO₂ emissions. This is the first time that the Incoterms^® clauses are used for macrologistic assessments of international trade-related transport CO₂ emissions. Our approach is exemplified using bilateral trade-related transport flows between Serbia and other European countries. The introduced RTE-index is expected to help visualise average national trade-related transport CO₂ emission responsibilities; increase awareness regarding environmental considerations among trade parties, logistics companies, and national organisations; and provide new perspectives for environmental transport policy actions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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22 pages, 3199 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Speed Limit Induced CO₂ Reduction on Motorways: Enhancing Discussion Transparency through Data Enrichment of Road Networks

by Jan Kunkler, Maximilian Braun and Florian Kellner

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010395 - 4 Jan 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4417

Abstract

Considering climate change, recent political debates often focus on measures to reduce CO₂ emissions. One key component is the reduction of emissions produced by motorized vehicles. Since the amount of emission directly correlates to the velocity of a vehicle via energy consumption factors, a general speed limit is often proposed. This article presents a methodology to combine openly available topology data of road networks from OpenStreetMap (OSM) with pay-per-use API traffic data from TomTom to evaluate such measures transparently by analyzing historical real-world circumstances. From our exemplary case study of the German motorway network, we derive that most parts of the motorway network on average do not reach their maximum allowed speed throughout the day due to traffic, construction sites and general road utilization by network participants. Nonetheless our findings prove that the introduction of a speed limit of 120 km per hour on the German autobahn would restrict 50.74% of network flow kilometers for a CO₂ reduction of 7.43% compared to the unrestricted state. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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21 pages, 7357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing a Geo-Strategic Railway Freight Network in Brazil Using GIS

by Cassiano A. Isler, Yesid Asaff and Marin Marinov

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010085 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3563

Abstract

The sustainable development of geo-strategic transport networks plays a key role to meet the current expansion of the demand for commerce and economic growth. In this paper, a new geo-strategic railway network for freight services is designed with the purpose of meeting the needs of current and future demands for freight transport in the state of Santa Catarina, South Brazil. The freight flows of bulk cargo, containers, and refrigerated and liquid cargo observed in 2005 and 2015 and expected for 2023 have been analyzed and assigned to a fully connected railway network. The number of trains to meet all the demands has been identified. The links that would have a minimum number of daily trains running on them have also been identified and analyzed. New assignments are proposed and visualized using GIS. Next, location and technical specifications of specialized intermodal terminals focused on the customers’ and operators’ needs are discussed. The study shows that technological specifications for terminal operations play an important role when dealing with multiple freight types and contribute to better use of the existing infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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17 pages, 3195 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design for Sustainable Public Transportation: LCA-Based Tooling for Guiding Early Design Priorities

by Willem Haanstra, Willem-Jan Rensink, Alberto Martinetti, Jan Braaksma and Leo van Dongen

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 9811; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239811 - 24 Nov 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2603

Abstract

Environmental sustainability is an increasingly important subject for public transportation organizations. For passenger train operators, modernization projects provide key opportunities to improve the environmental impact of their rolling stock by making informed design decisions at the midpoint of the life cycle of their trains. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely adopted as the main instrument for evaluating environmental impact. However, in the past LCA was rarely used in the earlier design stages, where it is most effective, due to constrained access to data, information, and LCA-specific expertise. To this end, a purpose-built streamlined LCA tool for train modernization is developed and demonstrated, following a Design Science Research approach. The developed tool simplifies the application of LCA employing four main design principles: (1) sacrificing the declarative function of LCA, (2) the use of Input–Output-based Life Cycle Inventory, (3) the inclusion of ‘shadow costs’, (4) the limitation of the included environmental impact categories. By streamlining the application of LCA in this way, it becomes possible to introduce LCA-based principles and ways of thinking into a process that would otherwise be inaccessible to performing LCA in: the early design stages of modernization projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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22 pages, 5961 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Sustainable Cities: Utilizing Floating Car Data to Support Location-Based Road Network Performance Measurements

by Maximilian Braun, Jan Kunkler and Florian Kellner

Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 8145; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198145 - 2 Oct 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2598

Abstract

Road network performance (RNP) is a key element for urban sustainability as it has a significant impact on economy, environment, and society. Poor RNP can lead to traffic congestion, which can lead to higher transportation costs, more pollution and health issues regarding the urban population. To evaluate the effects of the RNP, the involved stakeholders need a real-world data base to work with. This paper develops a data collection approach to enable location-based RNP analysis using publicly available traffic information. Therefore, we use reachable range requests implemented by navigation service providers to retrieve travel times, travel speeds, and traffic conditions. To demonstrate the practicability of the proposed methodology, a comparison of four German cities is made, considering the network characteristics with respect to detours, infrastructure, and traffic congestion. The results are combined with cost rates to compare the economical dimension of sustainability of the chosen cities. Our results show that digitization eases the assessment of traffic data and that a combination of several indicators must be considered depending on the relevant sustainability dimension decisions are made from. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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17 pages, 1431 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Tomato Picking and Distribution Scheduling Based on Maturity

by Anqi Zhu, Bei Bian, Yiping Jiang and Jiaxiang Hu

Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 7934; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197934 - 25 Sep 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2352

Abstract

Agriproducts have the characteristics of short lifespan and quality decay due to the maturity factor. With the development of e-commerce, high timelines and quality have become a new pursuit for agriproduct online retailing. To satisfy the new demands of customers, reducing the time from receiving orders to distribution and improving agriproduct quality are significantly needed advancements. In this study, we focus on the joint optimization of the fulfillment of online tomato orders that integrates picking and distribution simultaneously within the context of the farm-to-door model. A tomato maturity model with a firmness indicator is proposed firstly. Then, we incorporate the tomato maturity model function into the integrated picking and distribution schedule and formulate a multiple-vehicle routing problem with time windows. Next, to solve the model, an improved genetic algorithm (the sweep-adaptive genetic algorithm, S-AGA) is addressed. Finally, we prove the validity of the proposed model and the superiority of S-AGA with different numerical experiments. The results show that significant improvements are obtained in the overall tomato supply chain efficiency and quality. For instance, tomato quality and customer satisfaction increased by 5% when considering the joint optimization, and the order processing speed increased over 90% compared with traditional GA. This study could provide scientific tomato picking and distribution scheduling to satisfy the multiple requirements of consumers and improve agricultural and logistics sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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23 pages, 1265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Carbon Tax, Carbon Leakage and the Theory of Induced Innovation in the Decarbonisation of Industrial Processes: The Case of the Port of Rotterdam

by Alberto Gianoli and Felipe Bravo

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7667; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187667 - 17 Sep 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3774

Abstract

A higher price of CO₂ emissions is required to enhance the industrial transition and investment in low-carbon technology. However, the specific mechanisms to tackle the risk of carbon leakage and create an attractive environment for green investment are highly contested in the academic literature. Opposing perspectives regarding the appropriateness and desirability of government intervention in the economy result in different approaches to the decarbonisation of industrial processes. This research builds on existing academic knowledge in the fields of carbon leakage, induced innovation and government intervention to assess the effects of a carbon tax in the industrial cluster of the Port of Rotterdam within the context of a carbon tax on industrial GHG emissions proposed in the Dutch National Climate Agreement. The main finding of this study shows that investment leakage constitutes the main threat instead of carbon leakage in the face of a higher carbon price. Regarding the theory of induced innovation, limited abatement options are available for the industrial cluster and there is the need to scale up existing technologies. Lastly, to both tackle the risk of investment leakage and enhance the scaling up of low-carbon technologies, government intervention in the form of regulations, subsidies and enabling conditions is vital. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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19 pages, 1097 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Electric Bus Selection with Multicriteria Decision Analysis for Green Transportation

by Mustafa Hamurcu and Tamer Eren

Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2777; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072777 - 1 Apr 2020

Cited by 69 | Viewed by 8434

Abstract

Multicriteria decision-making tools are widely used in complex decision-making problems. There are also numerous points of decision-making in transportation. One of these decision-making points regards clean technology vehicle determination. Clean technology vehicles, such as electric buses, have some advantages compared to other technologies like internal combustion engine vehicles. Notably, electric vehicles emit zero tailpipe emissions, thereby ensuring cleaner air for cities and making these clean technologies preferable to other technologies, especially in highly populated areas for better air quality and more livable cities. In this study, we propose a multicriteria decision-making process using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) in the context of an electric bus in the center of Ankara. Six potential electric bus alternatives were evaluated under seven specific criteria. Overall, EV-2 electric buses outperformed other electric bus alternatives based on the chosen criteria. In addition, the stability of the results obtained under different scenarios using this method was established via sensitivity analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)

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