Abstract
The energy sector is the first major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, several goals have been set by the United Nations and the European Union to produce and efficiently use cleaner and sustainable energy. One of the main paths to follow is to adopt sustainability practices in energy supply chains (SCs), that eventually lead to sustainability performance outcomes. However, literature exploring the combination of the three analytical concepts (i.e., sustainability, SC management, and energy production) is scant. In response to the abovementioned gap, this thesis seeks to achieve the following three main goals: 1. To identify and critically review the current key topics and gaps in the literature on sustainability in energy SCs; 2. To improve our understanding of sustainability scores’ determinants in energy SCs; 3. To conceptualize and preliminary validate a set of factors that may influence sustainability practices and performance outcomes in energy SCs. The thesis is a collection of three scientific studies, each of which addresses one of the three main goals, applying a distinct research method. The first study is a systematic literature review of 97 papers, which has been conducted to analyse the triple-bottom-line of sustainability in the SCs of energy production. The aim is not only to provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art of research, but also to craft a future research agenda for sustainable supply chain management in energy production. The second and third studies focus instead on a particular form of energy SCs (i.e., the electric power SCs). In the second study, four determinants (i.e., energy source used by a firm, firm position in the SC, firm geographic location, and firm size) have been selected that may have influence on the strategies and operations of firms in the electric power SCs, and consequently, impact ESG scores. A dataset of 416 firms has been extracted from the Refinitiv Eikon Database and multiple linear regression tests have been run to test the correlation between the four determinants and ESG scores. In the third study, a theoretical framework is built based on institutional theory lenses, that shows a path of influence of the four determinants on sustainability practices and performance outcomes. The framework has been preliminary validated based on a qualitative analysis of sustainability reports of 30 energy firms supported by three semi-structured interviews. Overall, this thesis offers guidance to scholars by suggesting specific research directions based on the current literature and highlights determinants and paths of influence on sustainability in the electric power SCs. Moreover, it assists managers and policymakers in identifying, understanding, and addressing sustainability issues in these SCs.