Work

Green revolution: Constructing a sustainable supply chain evaluation system for the biopharmaceutical industry

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: With the advancement of global sustainable development goals, the biopharmaceutical industry faces numerous challenges in terms of environmental protection and sustainability. This study proposes a green supply chain management (GSCM) evaluation system for the biopharmaceutical industry on the basis of the economics, society, environment, networking (ESEN) framework. The network dimension extends the traditional triple-bottom-line evaluation by assessing sustainability drivers that are created between organisations rather than within a single firm, particularly information sharing, collaboration, supply chain transparency, and supply chain resilience in digital and global contexts. This addition strengthens GSCM evaluation in biopharmaceuticals by capturing cross-organisational coordination and responsiveness that are critical for compliance, traceability, and disruption management, which are often under-represented in existing frameworks. Through a literature analysis, natural language processing, expert interviews, the Delphi method, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), this study identifies 14 primary indicators and 50 secondary indicators, covering key areas such as R&D efficiency, production process optimisation, supplier management, carbon footprint management, and information sharing. To provide preliminary field evidence, the proposed indicator system is applied to JY Pharmaceutical using internal operational data and sustainability/ESG reports (2022–2023), demonstrating indicator measurability, scoring feasibility, and managerial interpretability in an actual biopharmaceutical supply chain setting. The results indicate that GSCM plays a positive role in improving resource utilisation efficiency, reducing operational costs, enhancing social responsibility, and improving environmental performance. The ESEN evaluation model (with a total score of 400 points and each dimension scoring between 0–100 points) provides a reliable quantitative tool for assessing the green level of supply chains in the biopharmaceutical industry. This study offers practical references for the implementation of GSCM in the biopharmaceutical industry and provides valuable insights for policymakers in promoting the industry's green transformation.

Source: Sustainable Futures

DOI: 10.1016/j.sftr.2026.101775

Authors: Na Chen, Xinyue Zhang

Institution: Beijing University of Chemical Technology

Language: English

Topic: Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,340