ESG Transformation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Bibliometric Evidence from Central Asia

Gulbakhyt Olzhebayeva, Elvira S. Nurekenova

2026

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.47703/2789-8253-2026-2-106-125
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

In the context of digital transformation, climate risks and geo-economic instability, ESG approaches are becoming an important direction for the modernization of logistics, distribution systems and supply chain management. The purpose of the study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications to identify the dynamics, thematic structure, and role of Central Asian countries in the development of ESG-oriented research in logistics and supply chain management. The methodological basis of the study was made up of bibliometric analysis, the PRISMA approach, co-authorship analysis, co-word analysis and network visualization using the VOSviewer program. The initial empirical base was formed from publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection for 2021–2025. The results demonstrate a more than threefold increase in publication activity, from 70 publications in 2021 to 226 publications in 2025, reflecting the growing scientific interest in sustainable logistics systems and ESG-oriented supply chain management. The results of the network analysis revealed the key thematic areas of ESG research: digital ESG ecosystems, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain technologies, supply chain sustainability, circular economy, green logistics, and ESG-oriented risk management. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are increasingly serving as connecting nodes between European and Asian research clusters, reflecting the growing importance of Central Asia in Eurasian transport corridors and in the transformation of sustainable logistics within an ESG-oriented economy. The results indicate that ESG is increasingly functioning as an integrated governance framework for adaptive, digitally connected, and sustainable supply chain systems amid climate risks, geo-economic instability, and global disruptions.