Research on the Role of Digital Twin Technology in Green Logistics and Sustainable Supply Chain Management

In the context of Industry 5.0 and global decarbonization, this paper examines how Digital Twin (DT) technology restructures Supply Chain Management toward Green Logistics and Sustainable Supply Chain Management. Framed by the Resource-Based View, Dynamic Capabilities, and socio-technical systems theory, DTs are conceptualized not as static simulation tools but as strategic cyber-physical assets that reconcile efficiency with environmental performance. We analyze how high-fidelity virtual replicas, fed by IoT and 5G, enable real-time carbon monitoring, support circular reverse logistics, and facilitate multi-objective optimization of cost, service and emissions through advanced algorithmic models. The paper clarifies architectural requirements for “green” DTs and distinguishes their role from blockchain in ensuring data integrity. Drawing on cases from DHL, JD Logistics, IKEA and Microsoft, we show that DT integration lowers energy intensity, strengthens climate resilience, and generates auditable ESG data, and we outline an implementation roadmap addressing interoperability, data governance and the digital divide.