Decarbonised closed-loop supply chains resilience: examining the impact of COVID-19 toward risk mitigation by a fuzzy multi-layer decision-making framework

Abstract

Today's primary challenges in supply chains (SCs) include considerable greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and disruptions. Addressing these requires the examination of three interconnected SC paradigms, i.e. decarbonisation, resilience, and Closed-Loop SCs (CLSCs). This paper seeks to investigate and assess the criteria for decarbonised resilient CLSCs, as influenced by the global pandemic, specifically within the context of Iran's small and medium pharmaceutical enterprises, employing a mixed-method approach. Initially, a Systematic Literature Review was employed to identify a categorised list of decarbonised resilient CLSC criteria by determining the impact of COVID-19 on SCs. Afterwards, the list was indigenised via the fuzzy-Delphi method. Two popular Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods, i.e. fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory and fuzzy Interpretive Structural Modelling-Matrix-based Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC), were then employed to investigate the finalised criteria. This paper has innovatively enhanced these methods by incorporating a multi-scenario analysis approach. The findings indicate that technological advancements, issues related to market and communication, and raw material markets significantly affect other criteria. Transportation and logistics are also crucial in reducing lead times, waste, and CO₂ emissions. Two countermeasures are recommended for senior managers, i.e. (i) the identification and application of suitable basic and advanced technologies across each SC process and (ii) engaging in a coevolutionary process beginning with SMEs' cooperation and collaboration towards their co-creation. The importance of regulatory bodies was also emphasised in devising effective policies to improve the markets for raw materials and finished products.