Research On Analysis Of Several Influential Factors In Low-Carbon Supply Chain

Climate change and the responses through low carbon economy are the very realistic background for low-carbon supply chain research. Climate change has been recognized as one of the most important environmental issues at global level, and to find the solution toward this challenge has become the common and crucial issue in front of the various circles of human society. For the fundamental solution of climate change, the consensus that human society has reached is to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) discharge. Historically, the over-discharge of GHG is closely related to the industrial civilization, so to solve this problem thoroughly, we must established low-carbon economy system, whose core character is to have all supply chain elements be obligated to carbon emission with considerations of the key factors of carbon emission from producing to consuming. Under the background of low-carbon economy, low-carbon supply chain has raised the new bar after green supply chain.Low-carbon supply chain gives more focus on reducing the carbon emission. Series of theoretical and empirical research have been carried out from different aspects including consumer consuming, production&circulation and supply chain structure etc.Consuming refers to the influence on low-carbon supply chain which is triggered by consumer. Current research includes the empirical study on consumers’low-carbon preference, low-carbon consumption guide, external environment for low-carbon consumption etc, while the existing research is very rare to touch the starting point of a low-carbon supply chain-carbon disclosure esp. on its influence to the low-carbon supply chain. Meanwhile, from the practical and real data, we could easily found that carbon disclosure is one area with very limited touches in domestic companies. So far, the penetration rates of energy efficiency labels are with very big differences among the segment markets of household electrical appliance industry, and it is necessary to have deep studies into the arisen problems. From production and circulation aspect, related researches are more focusing on the low-carbon solutions on product design, manufacturing, packing, process control, technology and pricing etc, while we cannot find any research made from the primary character of low-carbon product-dual attributes on both quality and low-carbon. Meanwhile, from practical data we could also find the problems led by this embedded dual attribute in following cases:1) SUV (a kind of auto with high carbon emission) is highly welcomed and occupies the first place of China automobile market with very fast incremental trend recently;2) one survey in Europe shows that all the auto vendors did not choose to reduce carbon emission through weight/size decreasing, while in opposite, the weight of autos kept increasing for all most8years;3) even in the trend to label energy efficiency on electric appliances, some energy inefficiency products are still occupies a particular position in market. All of these phenomena should be took with deep analysis, so as to dig out the inherent rules.Regarding the aspect of the supply chain structure, current studies pay more attention to the core enterprises in supply chain which play key role in promoting the low-carbon supply chain; some are also focusing on the competition strategy in supply chain. The existing researches did not make an intensive study of supply chain structure. Conventionally, the power structure and competition structure of a supply chain are the key topics in the study of supply chain structure, and the key conclusions mainly point at supply chain efficiency, while in low-carbon economy, low-carbon and efficiency are two different topics, which means that the influence from the power structure and competition structure to a low-carbon supply chain should also be reanalyzed.To filling the vacant position of current studies as summarized in above, the studies will give focuses on the three key factors of a supply chain-consumer, product and enterprises to reveal their influencing rules to a low-carbon supply chain. The study is with deep insight of supply chain theory and game theory etc.Three key conclusions of this study:(1) How consumer impact on the low-carbon supply chainSupply chain demand function with low-carbon awareness is introduced in this study, meanwhile, the low-carbon analysis model is established, and how the consumer’s low-carbon awareness impact on the carbon-disclosure, low-carbon degree and low-carbon investment decision was also analyzed with the consideration of the current low-carbon degree of a supply chain. Study has shown that impacted by consumer, the supply chain whose low-carbon degree is better than the requirement defined in low-carbon standard might be more than happy to disclose its carbon emission, so as to so as to proactively influence the consumers’need on low-carbon products which as a result will raise up the profit level for the supply chain. While in opposite, for the supply chain whose low-carbon degree is lower than the standards, the enterprises in the supply chain are not able to take concerted effort on carbon-disclosure.Carbon-disclosure will bring extra profit increase for the supply chain with good low-carbon degree, and this will further consolidate the foundation for the third-party to provide carbon-disclosure service. While the low-carbon information asymmetry between enterprises and consumer actually makes the third-party carbon-disclosure service inevitable.To enhance the consumers’low-carbon awareness will certainly promote the carbon reduction for the supply chains whatever with good or poor low-carbon degree, while for the supply chain with high level of carbon emission, it will definitely require a higher level of consumers’low-carbon awareness. To the supply chain with high level of carbon emission, mandatory carbon disclosure will activate their actions in reducing carbon, which means, mandatory carbon disclosure is with possibility to be used as a kind of regulatory tools.(2) How product impact on the low-carbon supply chainSupply chain demand function with dual attribute of product is introduced in this study, the low-carbon analysis model is established based on the dual attribute of product, and how the dual attribute of product impact on the low-carbon supply chain is also analyzed. Carbon exchange analysis model is established based on dual attribute of product, the relationship between dual-attribute and carbon exchange is analyzed, which further indicate that carbon exchange could be driven by product difference.Study has shown that for the supply chain whose product quality has strong relevance with carbon emission, the effort from up/downstream enterprises of supply chain tend to put less effort in carbon reduction. If the relevance reaches to a certain level, the supply chain may not be able to take any actions in promoting carbon reduction.The relationship between the supply chain profit level and dual attribute of product is very complicated. When the relevance between product quality and carbon emission (g-value) reaches to a certain level, reducing of carbon emission will cause negative profit for the supply chain. Before g-value reaches the threshold value which makes supply chain profit become negative, upstream enterprises and the whole supply chain’s profit will reach to maximum, and the g-value of maximum upstream enterprise profit will be smaller than the g-value of maximum supply chain profit.Carbon exchange can counteract part of the impact from dual attribute of product. Carbon exchange can promote the low-carbon degree for all the stakeholders who are engaging in the exchange.The carbon exchange which is driven by product could be released from the constraint of the technical efficiency difference of the both sides in exchange.(3) How supply chain structure impact on the low-carbon supply chainThe low-carbon supply chain analysis model with power structure is established in this study. The low-carbon degree of supply chain with three different power structures is analyzed.Study has shown that for the supply chain led by downstream enterprise has better low-carbon degree than the supply chain led by upstream enterprise. But, the profit level for the first mentioned supply chain might be lower than the second mentioned supply chain.The supply chain without any leading enterprise should have higher level of motivation than the supply chain with a leading enterprise to reduce the carbon emission.Through the analysis, the key function of power structure to a supply chain is the supply chain’s reaction to consumer preference. If consumers’preference only be impacted by price, the supply chain led by downstream enterprise will have the highest profit level. If consumers’preference be impacted by low-carbon degree, the supply chain led by downstream enterprise will have the best low-carbon degree.Study also shows that completion will promote the supply chain low-carbon degree, and there is no difference on the effect wherever the competition comes from.Five key innovation points in this study:(1)The possibility and inevitability of carbon disclosure service is analyzed. The low-carbon supply chain analysis model with power structure is established with the consideration of current low-carbon degree. The relationship between consumers’ low-carbon awareness and supply chain low-carbon degree is analyzed. The value of mandatory carbon disclosure is explained. (2)The low-carbon analysis model is established based on the dual attribute of product. From product aspect, the difference of low-carbon degree among different supply chains is explained.(3) From product aspect, the inevitability of carbon exchange is explained. The carbon exchange driven by product could be released from the constraint of the technical efficiency difference of the both sides in exchange.(4) The low-carbon supply chain analysis model with power structure is established in this study. The difference of low-carbon degree is analyzed respectively for the supply chain led by upstream enterprises, downstream enterprises and the supply chain without a leading enterprise.(5) The low-carbon supply chain analysis model with competition structure is established in this study, which contributes to the theory of supply chain competition in low-carbon economy.