Sustainability Assessment in Warehouses and Intralogistics: A Systematic Literature Review of Environmental, Economic, Social, and Governance Dimensions, KPI Frameworks, and Digital Technologies

Abstract

Background: Warehouse systems are critical nodes in global supply chains, yet the holistic assessment of their sustainability performance remains a significant research challenge. Existing studies tend to examine sustainability dimensions in isolation, predominantly focusing on energy consumption and cost optimization while neglecting social and governance considerations. The purpose of this study is to address this gap through a comprehensive mapping of the current state of knowledge on sustainable warehousing across economic, environmental, social, and governance dimensions. Methods: A systematic literature review of 88 peer-reviewed publications (2015–2025) sourced from Scopus was conducted, following a structured four-stage process. A classification framework was used to examine publication trends, ESG and economic coverage, KPI measurement approaches, sustainability practices, and digital technology adoption. Results: The findings reveal a rapidly expanding but analytically heterogeneous field, marked by environmental and economic dominance, excessive reliance on indirect metrics, and insufficient interconnections between digital technologies and sustainability performance monitoring. Conclusions: In response, this review develops a four-dimensional sustainability taxonomy of warehouse indicators, practices, and technologies, proposes an integrated Sustainability Management Framework, and outlines a research agenda for direct KPI measurement, empirical validation, stronger social and governance evaluation, and continuous sustainability monitoring through innovative technologies.