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Resilient and sustainable supply chain management is emerging as a focused area of research in the field of supply chain management. This article aims to introduce this edition of Advances in Environmental Accounting and Management and explore opportunities for research related to resilient and sustainable supply chain management. A critical analysis of literature found the need for developing the theory underpinning resilient and sustainable supply chains and the need for rich empirical studies. The six articles included in this edition present a variety of contexts including food supply chain, environmental accounting models, energy sector, human resources, modern slavery, horticultural worker exploitation and sustainable transport in jurisdictions like Australia, European Union, Fiji and India. Overall, this edition contributes to both theoretical and empirical literature on resilient and sustainable supply chain management and presents a repository of research that explores this area using an accounting and environmental management perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the complexities involved in implementing continuous improvement (CI) initiatives in public sector organisations.

This paper is based on a case study of a private sector organisation based in New Zealand and its efforts in implementing CI activities in its public sector clients. In total, 12 semi-structured interviews were followed by group model building exercises based on system dynamics that led to the development of a systems model.

CI initiatives using public-private partnerships were successful in steadily improving the operational excellence and end-user satisfaction in this case. But client satisfaction was only increasing at a much slower rate. The underlying structure responsible for this behaviour was captured using a causal loop model and explained using seven interacting feedback loops.

The major limitation of this research is that it is confined to one private sector organisation and its public sector clients. Thus, the generalisability cannot be utilised for future reference.

This paper illustrates the development of strategic initiatives based on a participative model building approach. It provides a practical method for initiating long-term structural changes while managing CI activities in public sector organisations.

This paper contributes a New Zealand case of public-private partnerships for implementing CI initiatives. It illustrates a systems approach to analyse the complexities involved in implementing CI initiatives in public sector organisations.

The overall objective of this study is to holistically analyse the complexities involved in the adoption of sustainable wood supply chain in the Amazon and to develop strategic interventions to improve the system.

This study uses the systems thinking and modelling framework that included problem structuring followed by the development of a systems model. Tumbira and Santa Helena do Inglês, two Amazonian communities, were used as a case. Data were collected by staying inside the Amazon, observing the community members and interacting with them during their activities, including logging inside the forest.

A behaviour over time (BOT) graph developed as a part of problem structuring showed that deforestation of the Amazon is still increasing, despite the creation of protected areas and NGO activities in the region. Developing a sustainable wood supply chain is considered as one of the approaches for sustainable forestry in the Amazon, but its adoption is slow. The systems model captured the underlying structure of this system and explained this counterintuitive behaviour using eleven interacting feedback loops.

This study is confined to two Amazonian communities and recognises the limitations of generalisations.

This paper illustrates the development of three strategic interventions to improve the adoption of sustainable wood supply chain in the Amazon.

This study highlights the real issues faced by real communities living in the Amazon for adopting sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices. It contributes to the literature on sustainable wood supply chain by systemically analysing the challenges in its adoption, not sufficiently discussed in the literature.

The study aims to critically evaluate the Kochi Water Metro as a model for sustainable urban transportation and extract valuable lessons for policymakers and cities seeking similar initiatives. The study employs a qualitative data-driven approach, utilising a longitudinal case study design, open-ended interview questions, direct observations and qualitative content analysis. The Kochi Water Metro has emerged as a transformative urban mobility initiative, enhancing connectivity while simultaneously reducing congestion on roads. The project's sustainable practices have minimised its carbon footprint, contributing to environmental sustainability. Economic benefits have accrued through increased tourism, employment opportunities and improved local livelihoods. The project's adaptability to local conditions and changing needs further underscores its sustainability. Limited data from the project's early years necessitate further longitudinal analysis. The focus on benefits may overlook potential challenges, warranting broader investigation. Reliance on qualitative data may restrict generalisability. The Kochi Water Metro serves as a beacon for sustainable and equitable transportation solutions. It serves as a blueprint for policymakers, providing practical lessons in project implementation, especially its integration with existing modes enhances overall urban mobility. Policymakers should consider replicating elements such as electric boats and integrated networks, while emphasising environmental sustainability, accessibility and community engagement. The comprehensive evaluation provides valuable insights into the project's tangible impacts and replicable elements. The innovative approach blends sustainable practices, operational resilience and community engagement, serving as a model for cities seeking sustainable, equitable and efficient transportation solutions.

The Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) that aims at ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns is dependent on efficient and effective transport infrastructure. But many new transport infrastructure projects are delayed due to complex conflicts between multiple stakeholders with different stakes. This chapter illustrates how a multi-stakeholder participation process based on systems thinking can be used to generate a shared mental model of stakeholders in conflict. Using the systems thinking and modelling methodology, the complex problem situation is first structured by identifying and analysing the stakeholders. Then a participative approach is employed to develop a systems model that captures the underlying structure responsible for the problem situation. Finally, three strategic interventions are formulated by the stakeholders to improve the system behaviour in the long term. In this chapter, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using structured interviews, focus groups and secondary sources. Using a New Zealand transport infrastructure project, the chapter shows that effective multi-stakeholder participation, capable of leading to some form of multi-stakeholder partnership, can help reduce delays in a transport infrastructure project. Practically, the chapter provides a framework that can reach an accommodation between conflicting stakeholders. Overall, this chapter contributes New Zealand–based empirical research to the literature on multi-stakeholder participation for achieving SDG 12 within the context of Agenda 2030.

Discourse concerning the most effective way for enterprises to offset environmental impacts is well established. While certain approaches like the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) have gained widespread acceptance, other initiatives like introducing the Carbon Tax in Australia have not been successful. This study examines the practical implementation of two environmental accounting models, the TBL and Carbon Tax, analysing their benefits and drawbacks and focusing on their application within the Australian accounting system. Using discourse and content analysis within two case studies of two different sectors – the banking sector (Westpac) and the manufacturing sector (BlueScope), this research contributes to the discourse concerning the implementation of such disclosures and how models such as the TBL and Carbon Tax initiative could be effectively used in practice. The results show that the implementation of the TBL was more widely adopted and seen as a positive factor in determining the company's environmental impact as viewed by investors. The Carbon Tax was initially adopted less frequently until modifications were made to allow for voluntary compliance. This was due to the misalignment of the cost of the tax with the financial priorities of each sector. Furthermore, the study suggests that a more comprehensive approach that leverages the strengths of both models to complement each other within an integrated framework may be the best solution for organisations seeking a more systemic approach to environmental disclosures and offsetting in their supply chain network.

This paper explores sustainability within supply chain management and its link towards resilience through the lens of ethics. The wicked problem of sustainability impacts supply chains and society at large, and the ability of supply chains to remain viable in the future is based on the sustainability of business practices. The paper argues that a substantive proportion of sustainability mechanisms (such as the Triple Bottom Line approach and codes of conducts) can be viewed within the ethical paradigm of deontology, whereby the morality of an action is based on adherence to rules. However, there are numerous critiques of such approaches and their success in creating more sustainable practices. Therefore, the paper proposes there is a need for systems thinking approaches to be incorporated into the exploration of the link between ethics, sustainability and supply chain resilience. Using two examples of social sustainability issues in Australia – modern slavery legislation and horticultural ¹ worker exploitation – the paper demonstrates the utility of various systems thinking methodologies to explore the complexity of these issues. The paper sets out a conceptual call to arms for researchers and practitioners to apply a holistic lens towards how the morality of actions is shaped and influences supply chain sustainability practices.

Based on the conservation of resource (COR) theory, this study explores employees’ learning agility (ELA) as an antecedent of knowledge sharing behaviour, specifically in the supply chain environment. However, such discretionary behaviour can be negatively affected by the prevalence of psychological contract breaches. According to COR theory, employees' resources (knowledge, ability and skills) act as motivational factors that employees strive to protect, retain and at the same time invest in favour of obtaining more resources. On the other hand, when resource loss weighs more than resource gain, an individual agitated with resource depletion will minimise resource loss by decreasing their effort for future displays of resources. A random sample of 418 participants from the public sector in the Fiji Islands yielded a sample of 418 participants. The proposed model was analysed through structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine its fit. The analysis supports the proposed theoretical framework, providing a new dimension for ELA as an unexplored phenomenon for knowledge sharing behaviour (KSB) in the supply chain. The study specifically draws the attention of policymakers on industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG09), where immediate actions are needed to create resilient supply chain management through ELA. Research shows that agile employees can easily adapt to unexpected changes, actively participate in discussions and quickly contribute to innovative and creative solutions. KSB can be further developed through a culture of learning and sharing, rewards for KSB, psychological support and upholding its promised obligations through regular communication, establishing a more resilient supply chain management.

Considering sustainability and resilience together is crucial in food supply chain (FSC) management, as it ensures a balanced approach that meets environmental, economic and social needs while maintaining the system's capacity to withstand disruptions. Towards this, a multi-objective optimisation model is proposed in this study to create an integrated sustainable and resilient FSC. The proposed model employs four objective functions – each representing a dimension of sustainability and one for resilience and utilises an augmented ϵ-constraint method for solving. The findings highlight the interplay between sustainability aspects and resilience, illustrating that overemphasis on any single dimension can adversely affect others. Further, the proposed model is applied to the case of Indian mango pulp supply chain and several inferences are derived. The proposed model would assist decision-makers in making a well-balanced choice based on sustainability and resilience considerations.