The role of green innovation in the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution: The case of OECD countries

The importance of environmental pollution, which closely affects human life, is increasing. There are many factors affecting environmental pollution. One of these factors is the logistics sector. All subtypes of environmental pollution are affected by the consequences of logistics operations. The effect of logistics performance, which measures the success of logistics operations, on environmental pollution has been seen to have a complex result in the literature. This shows that the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution is non-linear and affected by other factors. Therefore, it is important to examine this relationship. Innovations aimed at reducing environmental pollution are considered green innovations. Green innovation has a mutually encouraging relationship with logistics performance. This shows that green innovation can affect the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution. Studies examining the role of green innovation in the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution are limited. In this context, the aim of the study is to determine the role of green innovation in the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution. In the study, firstly, a literature review on the subject was carried out and numerical analysis on the publications were carried out with the help of bibliometric analysis. Afterwards, the model was created within the scope of the STIRPAT model, and the data was analyzed with the GPSTR method. In the study conducted on OECD countries, data for the period 2007-2018 were used. In the study, two models were established to determine whether the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution is linear, the existence of a threshold for logistics performance and green innovation, and if so, how the relationship occurs above and below these threshold levels. The findings prove that the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution is not linear. In this relationship, the existence of a threshold value for logistics performance was determined and it was observed that the increase in logistics performance reduced environmental pollution in both regimes. It has been determined that green innovation plays a positive role in reducing environmental pollution by supporting logistics performance in this relationship. Secondly, the existence of a threshold value for green innovation in the relationship between logistics performance and environmental pollution was determined. It has been found that the increase in logistics performance reduces environmental pollution when green innovation is both below and above this threshold value. It has been observed that green innovation supports logistics performance in this relationship as well. In addition, it was observed that GDP, trade openness, energy supply and urbanization, which are among the control variables included in the model within the scope of the STIRPAT model, increase environmental pollution, while industrialization decreases it. All results were compared with the relevant studies in the literature. As a result, it was determined that there were studies that obtained similar results. Finally, suggestions were given that may be beneficial to policy makers in reducing environmental pollution are presented.