Carbon neutrality through industry 4.0: A decision-making approach for sustainable energy efficient logistics operations

Logistics and related activities are key contributors to carbon emissions (CEs) but are essential for the success of supply chain (SC) operations in the logistics industry. Given the high energy consumption and substantial carbon footprint of the logistics industry, energy efficiency(EE) is a primary concern for business firms. The need to reduce emissions and energy consumption makes sourcing, manufacturing, delivering, and returning products more complex processes; hence, the requirement for sustainable, energy-efficient logistics (SEEL) is critical in this regard. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies can improve the economic and environmental performance of SEEL. However, the process of contextual decision-making to identify key attributes for achieving carbon neutrality in SEEL operations has not been extensively explored. This study identifies and analyzes 20 key attributes critical for enhancing SEEL operations. This study uses a five-phased integrated method encompassing the best worst method (BWM), measurement of alternatives and ranking according to the compromise solution (MARCOS), and Bayesian network (BN) approaches to analyse the attributes. The interrelationships between carbon neutrality categories and I4.0 technologies in SEEL operations were also investigated to enable impactful decision-making. The analysis suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have slightly higher probabilities of making a significant impact than big data analytics (BDA) and cloud computing (CC), emphasising their role in optimising energy usage, predictive maintenance, and intelligent resource allocation. The distinct ranking of sustainability options, including the adoption of renewable energy, circular economy strategies, and energy-efficient building design, offers a guiding framework for policymakers.