Integrating resilience and sustainability in supply chains: a strategic evaluation framework

Abstract

Over recent years, global supply chains have been and continue to be under significant pressure resulting from major disruptions largely driven by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent geopolitical instability. Supply chains are also increasingly asked to undergo structural transformations to comply with rising sustainability requirements due to accelerating impacts of climate change. Although resilience and sustainability in supply chain and logistics have been largely studied, existing research mainly addresses the two concepts separately and offers limited frameworks to evaluate their simultaneous effects on logistics decision levels. This article proposes an evaluation framework to assess the joint impact of sustainability and resilience practices within organisations’ supply chains. A dual methodological approach is adopted, combining a quantitative literature review using bibliometric analysis (Bibliometrix, Scopus database, 65 selected publications) with a qualitative content review of existing frameworks. Key supply chain practices are identified and classified across strategic, tactical, and operational decision levels, and their cross-impacts are evaluated on resilience and sustainability. The results reveal a structural pattern: Strong synergies between resilience and sustainability arise from practices optimising information flows, collaborative practices with stakeholders, circular and efficiency-driven processes. However, some unavoidable trade-offs are identified such as network diversification and multi-sourcing, inventory buffering, material-flow redundancy strategies and just-in-time management, which enhance resilience but increase resource consumption and transport emissions.The proposed framework offers a cross-impact evaluation tool for managers to assess supply chain resilience and sustainability performance within their organisations and prioritise implementation of strong synergy practices while mitigating trade-offs.