The Strategic Role of Digital Operational Efficiency in Mediating Green Logistics and Carbon Footprint Reduction: A Study of Thai SMEs

Abstract

As the global economy transitions toward a low-carbon future, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) face intensifying pressure to align their operations with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. This research investigates the strategic nexus between Green Logistics Management (GL) and Carbon Footprint Reduction (CF), specifically examining the mediating role of Digital Operational Efficiency (DE). Utilizing a quantitative research design, empirical data were collected from a purposive sample of 500 SME representatives across Thailand's manufacturing and service sectors. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized causal relationships. Data were analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicate that while Green Logistics has a significant direct impact on Carbon Footprint Reduction (???? = 0.308, p < .001), its effectiveness is substantially amplified through Digital Operational Efficiency, which acts as a partial mediator (Indirect Effect = 0.132). The model achieves a predictive power of 26.6% (R2 = 0.266). Discussion of the results suggests that digitalization—including ERP systems, Cloud computing, and Big Data Analytics—functions as a "transparency bridge," allowing SMEs to provide traceable and verifiable carbon data to international stakeholders. The study concludes that for SMEs to remain resilient in the face of mandates like CBAM, they must adopt a "Digital-Green Integration" strategy. Managerial and policy recommendations focus on incentivizing digital adoption and upskilling human capital to foster long-term corporate sustainability.