HomeEducationDoctorate (PhD & EngD)For current candidatesPhD infoUpcoming public defencesPARTLY DIGITAL - ONLY FOR INVITEES (1,5 m) : PhD Defence Qiansong Zhang | Enhancing the sustainability of Chinese production - Going beyond individual firms by green supply chain and eco-industrial parks

PARTLY DIGITAL - ONLY FOR INVITEES (1,5 m) : PhD Defence Qiansong Zhang | Enhancing the sustainability of Chinese production - Going beyond individual firms by green supply chain and eco-industrial parks

Enhancing the sustainability of Chinese production - Going beyond individual firms by green supply chain and eco-industrial parks

Due to the COVID-19 crisis measures the PhD defence of Qiansong Zhang will take place (partly) online in the presence of an invited audience.

The PhD defence can be followed by a live stream.

Qiansong Zhang is a PhD student in the Department of Governance and Technology for Sustainability. Her supervisors are prof.dr. M.A. Heldeweg and prof.dr. J.T.A. Bressers from the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social sciences.

Sustainable development has become the long-term strategic goal for China. Although China’s economy has achieved rapid growth until now, if it is to continue to ensure stable economic growth, while also improving the ecological environment and people’s quality of life, it will need a new approach. What development model could realize this harmonious symbiosis between the economic, environment and social dimensions? To achieve this, China will need to attach importance to the transformation and upgrading of industries to promote sustainable development. While this clearly needs measures that go beyond that which individual companies can do alone, it will require special attention to be paid regarding the green supply chain management of manufacturing and the construction or development of eco-industrial parks.

To improve green supply chain management means that the suppliers who are the source of the supply chain that sustain the companies need to incorporate green practices to fundamentally address the environmental problems of companies. This thesis focuses on the importance of the role of green supplier integration. At the same time, the transformation of the traditional industrial park into the eco-industrial park is also considered a strategic way to promote industrial agglomerations to achieve sustainable development targets.

The overarching goal of this doctoral thesis is to shed light on enhancing the sustainability of Chinese production through green supplier integration and eco-industrial parks. Multiple methods were applied in this research, including several conceptual models to explore the ‘antecedents’ of green supplier integration and its impact on company performance, as well as case studies to compare and summarize the sustainable development of China’s eco-industrial parks.