Sustainable supply chain management strategy for metal industry's sustainable development: An empirical research on Chinese metal companies

Metal industry in China is characterized by high energy consumption, pollution and emissions. This paper established a conceptual framework of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) for metal industry sustainable development. Content analysis of sustainability reports was applied to make empirical research, focusing on the top 10 Chinese metal companies. Findings indicate that the majority of large Chinese metal companies are aware of SSCM, but the concept of SSCM needs to be further spread in Chinese metal industry. Four strategies of SSCM adopted by the leading metal companies include green procurement and supplier sustainability management, low-carbon logistics, green manufacturing, and green marketing. Findings provide a successful paradigm for other metal companies to follow sustainable development.