Systematic Analysis of Concept and Term “Green Logistics”

1. Introduction

Interested in green logistics (GL) is growing every year among government officials, businesses, citizens, and scientists around the world [1]. This is due to the unique nature of this concept, which combines a unified approach to the effective management of logistics systems with a commitment to environmental protection. The fundamental basis for such management consists of various logistics concepts and concepts related to environmental protection — such as sustainable development, the triple bottom line, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance), and others.

Green logistics is gradually becoming attractive to businesses as well. Many companies around the world are successfully implementing green logistics practices [2]. Governments in various countries continue to introduce regulations and incentives to promote cleaner technologies and methods, while businesses are increasingly adopting green logistics initiatives and practices [3].

Nevertheless, recent papers note gaps in research, despite the growing attention to green logistics [4] and the increase in the total number of papers in this field [5]. In [3], the authors point to insufficient regulation of green logistics practices and assessments of their effectiveness, while in [6], researchers conclude that there is a lack of a systematic understanding of the concept of green logistics as a whole. There is an imbalance between academic research and industry practice in the implementation of the concept of green logistics, which hinders the integration of theoretical ideas and practical solutions, slowing progress in reducing the environmental impact of logistics functions [2]. The result is a lack of coordination and a low level of interaction among participants in green supply chains who perform various logistics functions in the field of green logistics [7].

This situation is partly due to the use of different terminology in academic research and in the practical application of green logistics. Discussions among scholars regarding the terminology used have continued since the emergence of terms such as “green” and “sustainable” in logistics [8]. There have been attempts to distinguish between these terms in logistics [9]. Most scholars tend to agree that ‘green’ refers primarily to the environmental aspects of operations, while ‘sustainable’ implies the integration of social, economic, and environmental aspects [10]. However, the question of the essence of the concept and term “Green logistics” remains a matter of debate. In our opinion, the absence of a universally accepted approach to understanding the term “Green logistics” impedes the implementation of this concept to reduce negative environmental impacts and improve business sustainability, as well as the generation of new ideas and initiatives in logistics.

The authors address the following research questions (RQ):

RQ1 – Which keywords are most frequently used in definitions of the term “Green logistics”?

RQ2 – How have the keywords in definitions of the term “Green logistics” evolved and what does the term “Green logistics” mean in the academic literature?

RQ3 – How do various authors use the term “Green logistics” in their research?

RQ4 – How is green logistics related to the concept of sustainable development?

RQ5 – To what extent is green logistics linked to the concept of sustainable development?

RQ6 – How has the term “Green logistics” evolved in the scientific literature?

RQ7 – What are the main promising areas for future research in the field of “green logistics”, and how can the classification of definitions of the term “Green logistics”—as well as the identification of commonalities and differences among the original definitions of this term—be used in determining these areas?

The article consists of five sections. Following the “Introduction” section, the “Literature Review” section presents an analysis of previous review articles in the field of green logistics based on Scopus data. The “Materials and Methods” section presents the general outline and a description of the research stages. The “Results and Discussion” section contains answers to the research questions based on the analysis of scientific papers. Finally, the “Conclusion” section wraps up the article and presents the main findings, as well as brief answers to the research questions.

2. An Analysis of Review Papers in the Green Logistics Field of Study

The analysis was conducted along two directions. First, groups of keywords were identified in the review articles, which allowed us to draw a preliminary conclusion about the thematic areas on which the authors of these papers focused. Second, the thematic areas identified through formal analysis were refined by examining the content of these papers. In addition, we conducted a quantitative assessment of the corpus of definitions for the term “Green logistics” in the published reviews.

The analysis was conducted using data from the Scopus database as of May 3, 2025, via the following query: TITLE (“Green logistics” AND “Review”). A total of 14 English-language review articles were identified.

Clustering of 101 keywords in the selected articles, performed using the VOSviewer program (Figure 1), revealed three main clusters — “green logistics,” “logistics,” and “literature review”—which indicates the adequacy of the sample of review articles obtained. An analysis of the relationships among all 12 clusters revealed that the authors of review articles in the field of green logistics are most interested in issues related to the green economy, green development, environmental pollution, the use of advanced technologies, and corporate social responsibility. These issues are examined in the context of transportation and warehousing, supply chain management, and Industry 4.0/5.0 solutions. Stakeholder theory is most frequently mentioned as the theoretical framework, while heuristic methods and combinatorial optimization methods are cited as research methods.

The results of the thematic analysis of the selected review articles are presented in Table 1. We were unable to identify any reviews that comprehensively examine the use of the term “Green logistics” from its inception to the present. The authors of the reviewed articles did not set such a goal, as evidenced by the limited number of definitions of the term “Green logistics” analyzed in these papers. One exception is the review [16], in which Išoraitė M. compares seven different definitions presented in papers published between 2014 and 2021.

A thematic analysis of the review papers allowed us to identify three main groups of reviews. The first group included reviews focused on specific aspects of logistics activities. The second group consisted of reviews of studies on general issues and trends in the development of green logistics. Finally, the third group comprised cross-functional studies dedicated to examining the connections between GL and other subject areas.

The shortcomings identified in existing reviews in the field of green logistics motivated the authors of this article to conduct a systematic review and analysis of definitions of the term “Green logistics” in the scientific literature. Furthermore, we believe it is important to address the gaps in previous reviews by systematizing the definitions of the term “Green logistics” and elucidating its essence based on an examination of the term’s etymology and evolution in scientific works over the past 25 years. In our opinion, such a systematization will enable a clear understanding of the connections between green logistics and contemporary concepts in the field of environmental protection, serve as the foundation for managerial initiatives and policies in the field of green logistics, and expand the theoretical and methodological basis of the concept.

3. Materials and Methods

This study is based on an analysis of papers in English published between 1999 and 2024 and indexed in the Scopus database (Elsevier). The query TITLE (“Green” AND “Logistics”) AND (LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, ‘English’)) AND (LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE, “ar”)) identified 498 papers in the initial stage of the study.

Figure 2. Flowchart of the research methodology.

Figure 2. Flowchart of the research methodology.

The initial set of papers was screened to identify articles containing interpretations of the term “Green logistics.” As a result of the screening, 56 papers were selected. A detailed analysis of the text of the selected papers was conducted to identify original definitions of the term “Green logistics” and the concepts associated with it. It is important to note that, for the subsequent meta-analysis, only papers containing original definitions of the term under study were selected.

The compiled list of definitions for the term “Green logistics” (Table 2) was used as the source data to answer the main research questions of this study. These questions concerned identifying commonalities and differences among the known definitions, establishing the etymology and evolution of the term “Green logistics”, and identifying the specific areas of application for this concept. The corpus of definitions identified made it possible to establish connections between the term “Green logistics” and aspects of sustainable development and to propose an original classification of this term.

4. Results and Discussion

A formal analysis of word frequency in the 56 definitions of the study term (Table 2) was conducted to prepare the data for answering the first research question. The five words most frequently mentioned in the definitions are: “Logistics” (46 mentions), “Environmental” (30), “Activities” (27), “Green” (20), and “Development” (18). A total of 230 unique words were identified out of a total of 594 keywords across all definitions. Figure 3 shows a keyword cloud generated using the “Voyant Tools” service. Analysis of the results led to the conclusion (RQ1) that researchers have a clear interest in using keywords related to aspects of sustainable development in their definitions. For example, the words “Social” (16 mentions), “Environment” (15 mentions), and “Economic” (15 mentions) are among the Top 10 and, respectively, rank 6th, 7th, and 9th. Frequently occurring words (10 or more mentions) are related to management and logistics — “Supply” (14 mentions), “Management” (13), “Transportation” (11), “Objectives” (11), and “Distribution” (10); actions and consequences — “Impact” (16 mentions), “Reduce” (14), “Processes” (13), “Negative” (10), “Minimize” (10), “Friendly” (10).

The keywords found in the definitions of the term “Green logistics” were divided into four chronological intervals to identify trends in the authors’ interest in various aspects of GL and to answer the second research question. The frequency of a given word’s use over a specific period was used as the criterion for dividing the 25-year study period into segments. The starting point of each chronological interval was defined as the moment a new word appeared in at least two definitions. Furthermore, this word had to appear in definitions at least three times in subsequent periods. Four chronological stages were identified: Stage I (1999–2008), Stage II (2009–2013), Stage III (2014–2018), and Stage IV (2019–2024). A similar criterion was applied for including keywords in the sample under analysis. Thus, a total of 49 words were selected.

A visualization of the trends in keyword usage frequency in the definitions of “logistics activities” is presented in Figure 4. The variety of keywords increases over time, which is primarily due to the growing number of publications in this field (RQ2). Period IV had the highest frequency of keyword usage — 38 words — while Period I had the lowest — 1 word. Periods II and III account for 24 and 20 words, respectively. Only one keyword, “logistics activities”, was used in the definitions throughout all periods. Its frequency of use increased from 2 to 8. The top five most frequently used words also include “environment” (frequency = 15), “reduce” (frequency = 13), “activities” (frequency = 10), and “environmental” (frequency = 9).

The results obtained regarding the frequency and evolution of keywords in the selected papers, as well as a detailed examination of the content of these studies, made it possible to identify subject areas (RQ3). On these areas, the authors of the analyzed articles focus their attention in their definitions of logistics. A total of four most frequently mentioned areas were identified.

The first subject area is logistics, which includes: logistics functions and operations (procurement, supply, production, processing, storage, warehousing, packaging, transportation, and distribution), as well as logistics principles; the use of logistics resources (particularly energy resources); challenges in implementing logistics activities; forward and reverse logistics; and the adoption of innovative logistics technologies.

The second thematic area is management: management functions (planning, organizing, controlling, directing); and supply chain management practices and strategies.

The third thematic area is aspects of sustainable development: economic (cost minimization, business operations, meeting consumer demand, product life cycle, economic development, circular economy); environmental (assessment of environmental damage, environmental footprint, reduction of harmful impacts, waste reduction, waste disposal, noise, accidents, use of environmentally safe technologies, green technologies); social (customer service, achievement of social development goals, improvement of society’s quality of life, provision of social benefits, government, and society).

The results of the analysis of thematic areas revealed significant interest among the authors of GL definitions in the concept of sustainable development. To clarify this interest in specific aspects of sustainable development and to answer the fourth research question, the definitions of the term “GL” were grouped according to the aspects of sustainable development—economy, environment, and society (Figure 5). Most definitions use the combination “logistics – environment – economy” (23 definitions) and “logistics – environment – economy – society” (19 definitions). Six definitions emphasize the achievement of economic and environmental goals in logistics, without explicitly considering social goals. The shaded areas in the figure indicate that there are no definitions in the scientific literature in which the term “GL” is explained exclusively from the perspective of “logistics” (Area A), “environment” (area B), and “society” (area C), as well as at the intersection of “logistics – economics” (area D), “environment – society” (area E), and “economics – society” (area F). At the same time, two definitions consider GL solely from an economic perspective and equate it with the circular economy.

An analysis of the dynamics of the relationship between GL and aspects of sustainable development over the 25-year study period revealed a rather unexpected result (Figure 6). This is primarily due to a decrease in the number of references to social aspects and an increase in the emphasis on economic aspects at the current stage of GL development (RQ5). In Stage I (1999–2008), definitions predominated that emphasized all three aspects of sustainable development or focused exclusively on the relationship between logistics and the environment. This trend only intensified in all subsequent stages, and as a result, in the final Stage IV (2019–2024), the share of definitions combining these aspects accounted for more than 77% of the total. Starting in 2009 (Stages II–IV), authors have consistently used the combination “logistics–environment–economy” in their definitions. The social aspect was used most frequently in the definitions of Phases II and III (2009–2018), and its frequency of use dropped to a minimum in Phase IV. At the same time, the predominance of the economic aspect in the definitions became noticeable in Phase IV.

An analysis of the evolution of the key terms used in various definitions of the term “GL”, as well as the dynamics of how aspects of sustainable development are reflected in these definitions, allowed us to identify four stages in the evolution of the term “Green logistics” (Figure 7).

The “Lack of Understanding” stage (uncertainty, ambiguity, emergence of the concept, initial establishment) — 1999–2008. This stage is characterized by conceptual uncertainty surrounding the term “GL”, which had only just emerged and was still taking shape. The original definition appears in the works of several authors and is characterized by a concise and understandable explanation emphasizing the connection between logistics activities and the environment. The term “green” is perceived exclusively as “ecological.”

The “Accumulation” stage (enrichment and saturation, formation) — 2009–2013. The term undergoes conceptual saturation. The number of original (author-specific) definitions of the term increases, along with their substantive elaboration; interpretations and conceptual boundaries expand. However, the term’s meaning is not yet clearly established. Attention is focused not only on the environmental aspects of logistics but also on its connection to other fields—management, the environment, the economy, and social aspects. Gradually, the link to aspects of sustainable development is strengthening.

The “Differentiation” stage (expansion, problematization, complication) — 2014–2018. This stage is characterized by a continuing increase in the number of interpretations of the term “GL”, a further expansion of its scope of application, and a simultaneous complication of conceptual boundaries due to excessive detail in the definitions. The meaning of the term “GL” becomes less unambiguous, and conceptual boundaries become blurred. New author-defined definitions specify individual characteristics while simultaneously losing a unified understanding of the essence of GL.

The “Modification” stage (transformation, adaptation, variable development) — 2019–2024. The number of author-proposed definitions continues to increase; some of them are simplified, while others, conversely, become more complex and detailed. New formulations are often based on previously existing definitions, which are refined and partially revised. The definitions show an expansion and renewal of their lexical composition, with new keywords and semantic emphases emerging. Authors strive to reflect connections to new concepts, technologies, and innovations in their definitions.

Thus, we are currently witnessing a broadening of the concept of GL. In our view, the main factor driving this is the emergence and rapid development of new technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, Industry 5.0, and so on. The evolution of the term “Green logistics” suggests that it may become more broadly defined in the future. This hypothesis is because expanding the concept of “green logistics” by incorporating new aspects, areas of research, or technologies into its definition will not result in a qualitative change in its essence. Therefore, we propose limiting the term “Green logistics” to reflect the connection between logistics and sustainable development, since the concepts of “logistics” and “sustainable development” are now well-established. Moreover, the emergence of new technologies, solutions, and logistics methods does not contribute to a fundamental change in either the principles of logistics or the goals of sustainable development. Proposed definition: “Green logistics is the implementation of logistics principles using methods for managing logistics flows to achieve sustainable development goals.”

We submit evaluating known and future green logistics (GL) terms using the following general classification, based on the responses to previous research questions. We have identified the following classification criteria: form of presentation format, complexity, originality, and citations (RQ7).

Identification of GL definitions based on the presentation format:

• explicit, when the authors use the term “GL” and provide a description of it. A characteristic feature is the use of the words “is understood to mean”, “is called”, or “this is”;
• implicit, when the emphasis is not on the term itself, but on a brief description of green logistics, as well as on its differences from traditional logistics in terms of goals, principles, methods, etc.

Identification of GL definitions based on complexity:

• simple – a brief description of the term “GL”, consisting of a single, usually long sentence that combines various aspects of GL;
• complex – consisting of several (two or more) statements defining what GL is. These represent a compilation of various definitions of the term “GL” or a description of its features and specific characteristics.

Identification of GL definitions based on originality:

• original – new, author-created definitions of the term “GL”;
• borrowed – authors use definitions from other scholarly works;
• borrowed with modifications – authors use a definition from other works as a basis but make minor changes to the wording.
• Identification of GL definitions based on citation criteria:
• primary citation – a reference to an article that provides the original definition of the term “GL”;
• secondary (indirect) citation – a reference to an article whose authors use a borrowed definition of the term “GL” without being the authors of that definition. Thus, a chain of references is created in which it is difficult to identify the original source;
• misquotation – a reference to an article that either lacks a definition of the term “GL” or provides definitions of similar terms, such as “Sustainable logistics” or “Green supply chain.”

Using the proposed evaluative classification makes it possible to understand how the definition of the term “GL” was formed, to reveal its essence, and to determine the authorship of the definition. It also allows the use of the corresponding term in each paper.

5. Conclusions

This study represents the most comprehensive and in-depth analysis of definitions of the term “Green logistics” (GL) in scientific articles indexed in the Scopus database from 1999 to 2024. The analysis identified 56 original definitions of the term “Green logistics,” conducted a meta-analysis of all definitions, analyzed the keywords most frequently used in the definitions, and determined the relationship between the term “Green logistics” and aspects of the concept of sustainable development.

There is currently no consensus within the academic community on what constitutes “Green logistics.” Over a 25-year period (from 1999 to 2024), no clear and unified understanding of the term “Green logistics” has emerged. Different authors focus on various goals, objectives, or specific aspects of logistics in their definitions. This is typically the focus or subject of their research, and authors emphasize this in the wording of their definitions of the term “GL”. At the same time, most definitions of GL highlight the environmental aspect or the close connection between logistics and the concept of sustainable development, which involves the integration of economic, social, and environmental components.

In our analysis of the term “GL”, we identified numerous synonyms and terms with similar meanings. For example: sustainable logistics, eco-logistics, environmental logistics, eco-friendly logistics, resilience logistics, and lean sustainable logistics. On the one hand, this diversity of terms broadens the scope of the concept of green logistics and demonstrates its close connection to various modern concepts, technologies, and management methods; on the other hand, it highlights the complexity of the subject of our study — the logistics system. On the other hand, it makes it difficult to grasp the specifics of each term, the differences between them, their interpretations, and the scope of application for each term.

We have found that the definitions of the term “GL” incorporate new “green” terminology: green supply (supplies), green needs, green demand, green solutions, green action, green technologies, green transportation, green storage, green packaging, green distribution, green services, green economy, green supply chain, and others. In most studies, authors generally do not elaborate on the meaning of these terms but instead focus on the fact that specific functions, processes, or solutions in logistics align with environmental protection or sustainable development goals. It is important to note that some definitions address specific logistics functions, such as transportation, warehousing, distribution, and others. In several definitions, authors mention all functional areas of logistics—from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of finished products to the end consumer.

Key findings addressing the research questions:

RQ1 – There is a clear tendency among scholars to include, in their definitions of the term “GL”, keywords related to one or more aspects of the concept of sustainable development.

RQ2 – Over time, the variety of keywords in definitions of the term “GL” has increased, primarily due to the growing number of publications in this field. The term “logistics activities” was used in GL definitions throughout the entire period analyzed. The five most frequently used words in GL definitions include “environment,” “reduce,” “activities,” and “environmental”.

RQ3 – Authors of papers containing definitions of the term “GL” most often focus on the following broad subject areas: logistics, management, and aspects of sustainable development concept.

RQ4 – The connection between GL and aspects of the concept of sustainable development, as reflected in definitions of the term “GL”, is confirmed by the fact that most definitions use the combinations “logistics – ecology – economy” and “logistics – ecology – economy – society.” Furthermore, we did not identify any papers in which the term “GL” is defined exclusively from the perspective of “logistics”, “ecology”, and “society”, nor at the intersection of “logistics – economics”, “ecology – society”, and “economics – society”.

RQ5 – In the early stages of the term “GL” (1999–2008), definitions that emphasized all three aspects of the concept of sustainable development—or exclusively the relationship between logistics and the environment—predominated. This focus intensified in subsequent periods. The authors consistently use the triad “logistics – environment – economy” in their definitions. However, at the present stage (since 2019), the economic aspect has become the predominant focus in definitions of GL.

RQ6 – The results of a study on the evolution of definitions of the term “GL” in scientific papers revealed a trend toward the expansion and modification of the GL concept. The logic behind the evolution of the term “GL” allows us to hypothesize that it will be generalized in the future. It is advisable to limit the term “GL” to reflecting the connection between logistics and sustainable development, since the concepts of “logistics” and “sustainable development” are now well-established. We propose the following generalized definition: “Green logistics is the implementation of logistics principles using methods for managing logistics flows to achieve sustainable development goals”.

RQ7 – We have identified classification criteria for definitions of the term “GL”: form of presentation, complexity, originality, and citation. We propose an evaluative classification of definitions of the term “GL”. This classification helps to understand how a particular definition of “GL” was formulated, to reveal its essence, and to determine the authorship of the definition and the use of the corresponding term in each paper.

The procedure for the systematic analysis of the term “Green logistics” described in this article can serve as a methodological framework for studying other concepts that are not yet fully formed or established.

The main limitation of this study is the use of a single scientometric database, Scopus, and the use of keywords from the titles of English-language papers exclusively as search criteria. Expanding the number of scientific databases and modifying the search criteria for publications will allow for a more detailed analysis and an examination of specific issues regarding the interpretation of the term “GL”. In future studies, we plan to address these limitations and extend the time frame to confirm the hypothesis regarding the generalization of definitions of the term “Green logistics”.