Role of Logistics and Transportation in green supply chain management: An exploratory study of Courier service industry in India

The present study is focused on assessing the role of logistics and transportation in green supply chain management (GSCM). To better understand important SCM issues in this key sector of the retail industry economy, the study was conducted through survey (interviews) with several retail supply chain executives in 10 major retailers in Northern India. A comprehensive questionnaire was formulated which covered various parameters like; Means of transportation for material used by retailers, awareness level of executives about Eco friendly Supply Chain, E shopping Facilities in Retail shops, Carbon Emissions of Retailers: (kg of CO2 per year), Average number of customers visiting the store daily, Means of transportation used by customers, Carbon Emissions of customers (kg of CO2 per year). This study identified and revealed the critical strategies, operational issues, and trends in GSCM. The results revealed that technological integration with primary suppliers and with major customers were positively linked to environmental monitoring and environmental collaboration. However, logistical integration only has an impact on GSCM with primary suppliers but not with the major customers. Finally, as the supply base shrinks the degree of environmental collaboration with the primary supplier’s increases. The study concluded that the predominance of the service sector will increase in the twenty-first-century information age. If no attention is given to the environmental consequences and to ways of addressing environmental challenges in that sector, the beautiful promises of a better lifestyle associated with the information age will be tarnished by the poor quality of our essential commodities – clean air, clear water,