Uncovering the role of sustainable value chain and life cycle management toward sustainable operations in electricity production technologies

Abstract

Sustainable value chain management (SVCM) incorporates the social, economic, and environmental aspects (known as the triple-bottom-line) of production systems, offering significant potential for sustainable operations. By broadening system boundaries and including triple-bottom-line sustainability indicators, SVCM can improve the existing literature on sustainable operations management. Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) identifies sustainability hotspots within value chains but is often underutilized in the practical design of sustainable operations. This paper presents a three-phase framework that combines SVCM and LCSA to enhance sustainable operations, using electricity production as a case study due to its substantial carbon footprint. The authors reviewed 443 articles from an initial 1649 documents on electricity production technologies, emphasizing the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) models to achieve responsible operations in the energy sector. The study highlights the benefits of the proposed integrated framework in achieving sustainable operations through sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, transparent procurement, global value chain management, corporate social responsibility, integrated decision-making, circular economy, and carbon footprint management. Future research should focus on developing circular production systems, integrating socioeconomic indicators, and aligning sustainable development goals with value chain hotspots.