Challenges to integration of green into supplier selections: review of the state-of-the-art literature

Green supplier selection (GSS) has become crucial as organisations increasingly compete on environmental supply chain capabilities. However, challenges impeding integration of green into supplier selection has received little attention in literature. This paper examines the existing literature on green supplier selection with the view to identifying challenges to integration of environmental sustainability into supplier selection for procurement of goods. In total, 50 articles were reviewed, all published in peer-reviewed journals between 2009 and 2019. In all, 29 challenges to integration of environmental sustainability into supplier selection were identified in the review, and these were subsequently put into four main themes: lack of knowledge and support; inadequate technology and infrastructure; organisational and operational strategy and policy, and financial limitations. Based on the review of the literature, a framework was developed to establish the relationships among the themes and to show how the barriers were put into the four main themes. The findings from this review should provide a basis for measures to be put in place for successful integration of environmental sustainability into supplier selection in procurement decisions.