Financing decisions in capital-constrained supply chains considering uncertain emission reduction outputs and blockchain technology applications
Juan‐Juan Qin, FU Hui-ping, Ziping Wang, Xiaochen Lyu
Abstract
This paper explores a low-carbon supply chain comprising a capital-constrained manufacturer and a retailer under cap-and-trade regulation. The manufacturer can obtain financing support for both production and carbon emission reduction through either Bank Financing (BF) mode or Mixed Financing (MF) modes. The incorporation of blockchain technology is posited to enhance the transparency of uncertain emission reduction data within the supply chain, allowing banks to adjust interest rates accordingly via smart contracts. Four modes are analyzed: BF without blockchain technology, BF with blockchain technology, MF without blockchain technology, and MF with blockchain technology. Under MF, the retailer provides financing support for production cost and the bank provides financing support for carbon emission reduction. The findings indicate that the utilization of blockchain technology improves supply chain profits when its cost is moderate. Without blockchain, BF mode will be chosen when faced with intermediate bank interest rate. Conversely, when the manufacturer employs blockchain technology, the strategic choices of both the manufacturer and retailer regarding the BF and MF modes are independent of the associated cost. Additionally, BF mode becomes more attractive when the trigger point for emission reduction output is moderate and the cost of adopting blockchain technology is minimal.