Short answer

When designing or redesigning supply chain processes, prioritize strategies that embed circularity and renewable energy to achieve immediate gains in sustainability and resilience.

Field: Resource Management
Source: Business Strategy and the Environment (2025)
Method: Mixed-methods research integrating qualitative (focus groups, interviews) and quantitative (surveys) approaches.
Sample: 27 industry experts
Evidence: Strong effect

Implementing circular economy practices and transitioning to renewable energy sources are immediate, high-impact strategies for enhancing both sustainability and resilience in supply chains. This resource management research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Business Strategy and the Environment. Using Mixed-methods research integrating qualitative (focus groups, interviews) and quantitative (surveys) approaches. with 27 industry experts, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing or redesigning supply chain processes, prioritize strategies that embed circularity and renewable energy to achieve immediate gains in sustainability and resilience.

Study

Resource ManagementNew This WeekStrong effect

Prioritize Circular Economy and Renewable Energy for Resilient Low-Carbon Supply Chains

Implementing circular economy practices and transitioning to renewable energy sources are immediate, high-impact strategies for enhancing both sustainability and resilience in supply chains.

Business Strategy and the Environment · 2025

Key Findings

01Circular economy practices and renewable energy transitions are immediate priorities for sustainability and resilience.
02Collaborative agility, regulatory adaptability, and support for technological innovation are critical success factors.
03The prioritization of LCIS should align with an organization's strategic objectives (sustainability, resilience, or overall performance).
04There can be a misalignment between expert perceptions and empirical assessments of strategy effectiveness (e.g., carbon offsetting).

Application

Design takeaway

When designing or redesigning supply chain processes, prioritize strategies that embed circularity and renewable energy to achieve immediate gains in sustainability and resilience.

How to apply

When developing new products or optimizing existing supply chains, conduct an assessment of opportunities for implementing circular material flows and sourcing renewable energy. Align these choices with overarching business goals for sustainability and resilience.

Project actions

01When choosing materials, consider their end-of-life potential for reuse or recycling.
02Investigate the feasibility of using renewable energy sources for any manufacturing or operational aspects of your design project.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat are the most effective low-carbon investment strategies for enhancing both sustainability and resilience in supply chains, and how should they be prioritized?

MethodMixed-methods research integrating qualitative (focus groups, interviews) and quantitative (surveys) approaches.

ProcedureThe study involved focus groups and surveys with 27 industry experts to identify and evaluate low-carbon investment strategies (LCIS). Findings were further validated through semistructured interviews. Expert perceptions were compared with quantitative assessments.

Sample27 industry experts

ContextSupply chain management and corporate sustainability strategy

Variables

IV["Types of low-carbon investment strategies (e.g., circular economy, renewable energy, carbon offsetting)","Organizational strategic objectives (sustainability, resilience, overall performance)"]

DV["Sustainability outcomes","Resilience outcomes","Overall performance efficiency"]

CV["Industry sector","Expert experience level","Company size"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Integrates both expert opinion and empirical data.
+Provides an actionable framework for strategy evaluation and prioritization.

Limitations

The specific effectiveness of strategies like carbon offsetting can be highly context-dependent and may not be universally applicable across all design projects.

Reliability & validity

The mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative insights from experts with quantitative survey data and potentially empirical validation, enhances both the reliability and validity of the findings. However, the reliance on expert opinion introduces potential biases.

Think critically

To what extent can the 'misalignment' between expert perception and empirical data for strategies like carbon offsetting be attributed to differing definitions of 'resilience' or 'sustainability' across stakeholders?

Design Principles

"Integrate circular economy principles and renewable energy adoption as foundational elements for sustainable and resilient supply chain design."

Designers and engineers must consider the broader environmental and operational impacts of their material and energy choices. This research highlights that focusing on foundational shifts like circularity and renewables offers the most significant gains in building robust, low-carbon supply chains.

What This Means for Your Design

To make supply chains better for the environment and more stable, focus first on reusing materials (circular economy) and using clean energy (renewables).

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the strategic importance of material selection and energy sources in your design project's supply chain analysis.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the critical importance of prioritizing circular economy practices and renewable energy transitions for building resilient, low-carbon supply chains. The study suggests that these foundational strategies offer immediate and significant benefits for both sustainability and operational robustness, underscoring their value in strategic design decisions.

Source

Business Strategy and the Environment

Carbon‐Cutting Chess: Strategizing Resilient Low‐Carbon Investments for Supply Chains

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about prioritize circular economy and renewable energy for resilient low-carbon supply chains?: When designing or redesigning supply chain processes, prioritize strategies that embed circularity and renewable energy to achieve immediate gains in sustainability and resilience. Evidence: Business Strategy and the Environment (2025).
Why does "Prioritize Circular Economy and Renewable Energy for Resilient Low-Carbon Supply Chains" matter for design?: Designers and engineers must consider the broader environmental and operational impacts of their material and energy choices. This research highlights that focusing on foundational shifts like circularity and renewables offers the most significant gains in building robust, low-carbon supply chains.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing or redesigning supply chain processes, prioritize strategies that embed circularity and renewable energy to achieve immediate gains in sustainability and resilience.
What were the main findings?: Circular economy practices and renewable energy transitions are immediate priorities for sustainability and resilience.. Collaborative agility, regulatory adaptability, and support for technological innovation are critical success factors.. The prioritization of LCIS should align with an organization's strategic objectives (sustainability, resilience, or overall performance).. There can be a misalignment between expert perceptions and empirical assessments of strategy effectiveness (e.g., carbon offsetting).
What research method was used?: Mixed-methods research integrating qualitative (focus groups, interviews) and quantitative (surveys) approaches. with 27 industry experts.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Business Strategy and the Environment.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing new products or optimizing existing supply chains, conduct an assessment of opportunities for implementing circular material flows and sourcing renewable energy. Align these choices with overarching business goals for sustainability and resilience.
What are the limitations?: The study's findings on specialized strategies like carbon offsetting may vary in applicability across different industries and organizational contexts. The prioritization of strategies is contingent on defined organizational objectives.