The Impact of Industry 5.0 to Achieve NetZero in Warehousing

Organisations and governments are working towards achieving NetZero by 2050. This ambitious goal requires supply chain partners to improve their activities by focusing on value-oriented sustainable aspects. Industry 5.0 (I5.0) supports a vision of an industry that looks beyond efficiency and productivity as the only targets and strengthens the responsibility and contribution of industry to society and the environment. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of both base and smart I5.0 technologies on environmental sustainability key performance indicators for warehouse activities, to develop a Warehousing Sustainability Framework (WSF) for achieving NetZero emissions in the supply chain.
Following a thorough literature review to address this issue, a theoretical framework is established on three broadly familiar theories: Institutional Theory (IT), Resource-Based View (RBV) and Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI). The research adopts a deductive approach to theoretical reasoning. Regarding the research strategy, a quantitative method is selected as the sole strategy for data analysis, the data is collected through an online survey questionnaire with a sample size of 306. Whereby the framework six hypotheses are tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM).
Using SPSS Amos, five of the six hypotheses are found to be significant. The findings demonstrate that I5.0 smart technologies have a positive impact on warehouse inbound and outbound activities, which in turn significantly influence ESKPIs. Both the I5.0 base and smart technologies show a positive effect on NetZero. However, I5.0 base technologies alone did not significantly affect warehouse activities, and the mediation analysis revealed that the direct and indirect impact of I5.0 technologies on NetZero emissions was not statistically significant. The study highlights that I5.0 is still a developing concept and may require further implementation and development to fully realise its potential. Overall, the research provides valuable insights into the role of I5.0 technologies in enhancing warehouse environmental sustainability performance for both researchers and industry professionals.
The results of this study are crucial because, some of the conclusions can be regarded as contributions to the literature, while others are compatible with the body of existing research. The framework opens new possibilities for researchers while helping supply chain and logistic professionals to better understand the impact of I5.0 technologies on sustainable warehousing, therefore fully adapting the principles of I5.0 and achieving NetZero.