The effect of green finance on smart renewable energy supply chains: the role of AI-empowered Physical Internet enablers to achieve sustainability

This study empirically investigates the interplay between Green Finance (GF), digital technologies, and smart renewable energy supply chains within an AI-empowered Physical Internet (PI) framework. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) on survey data from 498 industrial managers in Egypt, we demonstrate that GF is a critical catalyst for Smart renewable energy supply chain management adoption. Big Data Analytics (BDA) significantly strengthens this relationship by enabling predictive logistics optimisation, whereas Blockchain's (BCT) moderating effect is currently limited. Furthermore, Smart renewable energy supply chain management acts as a key mediator, translating GF into substantial environmental and social performance gains, though its short-term economic impact is less pronounced. The findings offer policymakers a validated model for designing targeted GF mechanisms and provide managers with a strategic roadmap for prioritising data analytics investments to build sustainable, efficient energy logistics systems.