An Integrated Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Set Model for Evaluating Circular Low Carbon Suppliers in a Developing Country

AbstractIncreasing carbon emissions and environmental degradation have led to rapid depletion of resources. This requires circular low carbon (CLC) supply chains which extend the lifecycle of resources as much as possible. The aim of this study is to propose an integrated model for CLC supplier selection. First, economic, environmental and social responsibilities related to carbon management are identified. Then, DANP (Dematel-Analytic Network Process) and COPRAS (Complex Proportional Assessment) model with interval type-2 (IT-2) fuzzy sets are applied to evaluate the suppliers of a case energy company in Turkey. In this study, the ranking of dimensions from the most important to the least yielded the following order: environmental, social, and economic. In turn, carbon policy, carbon emission risks and low carbon supplier collaboration are found to be the most important environmental criteria. The current study has been used for the first time for a CLC supplier selection problem. Further, the study innovatively employs IT-2 fuzzy sets to better address differences and uncertainties that may come into play with a group of experts’ linguistic judgments. The validity of the proposed method is determined through sensitivity and comparative analysis.Keywords: Circular Low Carbon Supply ChainDANPCOPRASSupplier EvaluationInterval Type-2 Fuzzy SetsEMJ Focus Areas: Decision Making & Risk ManagementOperations ManagementSupply Chain ManagementSustainability Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.Author ContributionsAll work was conducted by a single author. The author prepared, read, and approved the manuscript.Availability of Data and MaterialsThe author confirms that the datasets used in the study are available within the article.Additional informationNotes on contributorsSelçuk PerçinSelçuk Perçin graduated from Yildiz Technical University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and obtained his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Ankara University. He currently serves as a Professor of Operations Management at Karadeniz Technical University in Trabzon, Turkey. His primary research interests focus on operations management, sustainability, and circular economy issues. His research contributions have been published in international, peer-reviewed journals. He also teaches courses on operations management and decision support systems.