ESG in Logistics: Comparative Insights from Military and Civilian Sectors for Strategic Decision-Making

This paper examines how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria are integrated into strategic management decisions across two distinct logistics contexts-civilian and military- and what practices are transferable between them. Using a qualitative, comparative design, the study combines documentary analysis, two illustrative case vignettes (one private-sector logistics company; one military logistics structure), and semi-structured interviews with logistics practitioners. We clarify the unit of analysis (sector), while drawing on organizational examples to ground sector-level patterns. Findings indicate that civilian logistics tends to operationalize ESG through transparency, supplier screening, and digital optimization (e.g. fuel efficiency, route planning, etc.), whereas military logistics shows selective adoption shaped by mission constraints, risk posture, and security requirements. Nevertheless, convergences emerge around resource efficiency, resilience, and stakeholder accountability. We discuss implications for strategic decision-making (e.g. governance of ESG trade-offs, data and traceability requirements) and outline a pragmatic, context-sensitive checklist for ESG integration in logistics rather than a universal framework. The paper contributes by bridging largely separate literatures on ESG and logistics with the underexplored civil-military comparison, articulating concrete avenues for cross-sector learning while acknowledging limitations related to sample, size, data availability, and generalizability.