Decarbonizing Global Supply Networks: Optimization Review of Net-Zero Freight, Green Procurement, and Circular Economy Resource Flows

Chinelo Faustina Nzoiwu¹, Charles Chikwendu Okpala², Ugochukwu Richards Orji³

¹ Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering Department, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Nigeria.

² Professor, Industrial/Production Engineering Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

³ Lecturer, Industrial/Production Engineering Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

Abstract

Global supply networks are among the most powerful engines of economic growth, yet they remain a dominant source of greenhouse gas emissions through carbon-intensive freight transportation, upstream procurement activities, and linear material consumption systems. The attainment of net-zero supply chains therefore requires integrated, data-driven decision frameworks that are capable of simultaneously optimizing logistics operations, supplier portfolios, and circular resource recovery flows. This article provides a multidisciplinary optimization review of three interconnected decarbonization levers: net-zero freight systems, green procurement and sustainable supplier selection, as well as circular economy resource flow integration. Drawing on recent advances in mixed-integer linear programming, multi-objective optimization, digital twin modeling, and AI-enabled analytics, the study synthesizes methodological innovations that embed lifecycle carbon accounting directly into multi-echelon supply network design. Evidence from the literature indicates that isolated interventions such as freight modal shifts and routing optimization can reduce logistics emissions by 15–30%, while supplier decarbonization strategies yield embodied carbon reductions of 20–40%. Circular economy adoption through closed-loop logistics and secondary material substitution further enables lifecycle emission savings of 25–60% depending on recovery rates and sectoral context. Building on these insights, the article introduces the Carbon-Optimized Circular Freight-Procurement Network (CO-CFPN) framework, which demonstrates that fully integrated optimization across freight, sourcing, and circular flows can generate compounded emissions reductions of 35–60% relative to cost-only baseline networks. The paper concludes with a future research agenda that emphasizes interoperable carbon data infrastructures, hybrid AI–optimization systems, and policy-aligned modeling to accelerate scalable net-zero transitions across global supply networks.

Keywords: Net-zero freight; Low-carbon logistics; Green procurement; Supplier Optimization; Circular Economy, Carbon-aware supply chains; Multi-objective optimization

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