Enhancing Supply Chain Sustainability through ESG and Economic Criteria: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach

This thesis investigates the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Economic pillars into supply chain sustainability through a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach. The study focuses on six widely acknowledged sustainability tools and frameworks: three formal disclosure and reporting frameworks—CSRD, SASB, and TCFD—and three globally recognized voluntary standards and initiatives—GRI, ISO 14001, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By incorporating both types of frameworks, the study enables a comprehensive and balanced representation of policy-oriented standards and practical operational tools. To evaluate the perceived importance of these six alternatives, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied across four criteria: environmental, social, governance, and economic. In order to achieve an in-depth assessment, each criterion has been evaluated using its corresponding sub-criteria. The data for this study were gathered through a mixed-method approach. First, a survey was carried out with five professionals from various industries, where they were asked to provide pairwise comparisons as part of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Their individual evaluations were then combined using the Aggregated Individual Priorities (AIP) method to generate an overall ranking. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the participants’ awareness and experience with the selected frameworks, the sustainability priorities within their organizations, and how these tools are reflected in actual practice. The findings suggest that while sustainability tools are becoming more widely recognized and partially adopted, many organizations have not yet fully adjusted to their strategic and operational implications.