Date: November 4-6, 2025
Venue: Pretoria, South Africa

Green Innovations in Transport and Logistics Systems:
Transforming Supply Chains for Sustainable Development

Call for abstracts for a NECTAR Cluster 3 (Logistics and Freight) Workshop

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 23rd conference of the parties (CoP23) recognised the urgent global challenge posed by CO2 emissions. This recognition underscores the immediate need for innovative systems on a global scale to address the overexploitation of non-renewable natural resources, unsustainable consumption patterns, detrimental effects of current modes of production, and other issues that threaten the triple bottom line. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated, and it is crucial that we act now to prevent further damage.

One area of focus has been the transformation of supply chain practices that negatively impact the environment and worsen poverty and social inequalities. For example, freight transportation, including warehousing and ports, accounts for up to 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions and emits over 20% of the world’s black carbon. If current practices persist, it is predicted that freight transportation will be the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Overall, supply chains generate approximately 60% of all carbon emissions globally. Therefore, addressing supply chain sustainability is essential to achieving net zero.

Green innovation, also known in the literature as environmental innovation or eco-innovation, challenges this situation and offers the opportunity to change the course of socioeconomic inequalities and environmental degradation towards sustainable transformation. Green innovation promises to safeguard the environment and, in some cases, reverse past harmful environmental trends. Therefore, it has become a focal point for research and practice in various fields.

The supply chain management discipline employs digital technologies as a contemporary approach to tackle sustainability-related development and supply chain challenges. This includes innovation and technology that promotes well-being and sustainability and the development of models and data policies for economic and supply chain transformations towards sustainability. Numerous companies have effectively adopted green innovation practices in managing their supply chains. For instance, Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan sets out to reduce the environmental impact of its products by 50% by 2030, showcasing a holistic approach to sustainable supply chain management that is both effective and replicable (Unilever, 2020). Similarly, IKEA’s goal to become climate-positive by 2030 underscores the integration of circular economy principles and environmentally friendly procurement practices, providing a clear roadmap for other companies to follow (IKEA, 2019).

Therefore, we invite papers for the upcoming workshop that will focus on green innovations, emphasising how technologies and processes can help create sustainable and environmentally friendly supply chains. This workshop aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss and explore cutting-edge innovations and strategies for enhancing the sustainability of transport and logistics systems. We encourage submissions on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Green supply chain management: Strategies and practices for reducing the environmental impact of supply chains.
• Eco-friendly logistics solutions: Green warehousing, packaging, and distribution practices.
• Smart and connected logistics: The role of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data in optimising logistics for sustainability.
• Policy and regulation: Impact of governmental policies and regulations on promoting green logistics.
• Urban logistics and last-mile delivery: Sustainable approaches to urban freight and last-mile delivery challenges.
• Renewable energy in logistics: Integration of solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources in transport and logistics operations.
• Circular economy and reverse logistics: Implementing circular economy principles in logistics and supply chains.
• Collaborative logistics networks: Partnerships and collaborations for shared sustainable logistics solutions.
• Case studies and best practices: Real-world examples of successful green logistics implementations.

We seek an open discussion about each presentation. Young researchers and students are encouraged to submit.

Submitting an Abstract
Researchers interested in presenting their papers are kindly invited to send their long abstracts of a maximum of 700 words by email to Dr Frank R. Matenda at matenfr@unisa.ac.za cc Prof Marcia Mkansi at mkansm@unisa.ac.za by June 02, 2025. Please also indicate the title, author(s), affiliation(s), corresponding author contact, and three keywords. A maximum of three bibliographic references is allowed.

Publications
Outstanding papers will be considered for publication in a special issue to be published in the Africa Journal of Management (AJOM).

Venue
The workshop is hosted by the University of South Africa, Pretoria (South Africa) and organised in collaboration with the Sprott School of Business, Ottawa (Canada) and the Norwegian University of Science & Technology.

Participation and NECTAR membership
Up to 35 NECTAR members are invited to present their papers. The participation of one author per paper is free and includes two nights’ accommodation, lunch, coffee breaks, and dinners. NECTAR membership for 2024 (€70 or, for those under the age of 30, €40) is required to attend the meeting. Non-members can find details on how to join the association on the ‘Membership’ page of NECTAR’s website: https://www.nectar-eu.eu/membership/.

Important dates:
Call for abstracts: May 01, 2025
Abstract submission: June 02, 2025
Notification of acceptance: June 13, 2025
Confirmation of attendance: June 20, 2025
Full paper submission: August 15, 2025
Workshop dates: November 04 – 06, 2025

Organising Committee
Aaron Luntala Nsakanda, Sprott School of Business, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Marcia Mkansi, University of South Africa, Pretoria, SouthAfrica
Godfrey Muguruzi, Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Jonas Flodén, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Travis Fried, University of Washington, Seattle, UnitedStates,
Nicolas Brusselaers, Linköping University (Linköping), Sweden

NECTAR is a European-based scientific association. The primary objective is to foster research collaboration and exchange of information between experts in the field of transport, communication and mobility from all European countries and the rest of the world. It is a multidisciplinary socialscience network bringing together various perspectives on transport and communication problems and their impact on society from an international perspective. For further information on NECTAR, use the link: http://www.nectar-eu.eu.