A systematic review of green supply chain network design literature focusing on carbon policy

Developed countries are responsible for a great share of the historical carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the atmosphere. The need to reduce CO2 emissions is now widely accepted, but how this can be accomplished is still controversial and debated. Considering the growing size of the carbon trading market and the enlargement of carbon business mechanisms, CO2 should be considered when designing supply chain networks (SCNs). Many researchers are developing green and sustainable supply chain networks to diminish greenhouse gas release. This paper reviews the literature on green supply chain network design (GSCND) from 2010 to 2023 and analyzes the effect of related carbon regulations on GSCND. We focus on methodologies and models that expressly account for carbon releases. We show three policies that have influenced the design of SCNs on carbon emissions: carbon cap, cap-and-trade, and carbon tax.