The influence of the altruistic preferences of e-commerce platforms on the carbon emission reduction of manufacturers

Since the high cost of carbon emission reduction (CER) is expected to lead to conflicts between manufacturers and e-commerce platforms (ECPs) in the e-commerce supply chain (ECSC), altruistic preferences of ECPs have drawn much attention. However, current research does not investigate how the altruistic preferences of the ECP affect supply chain decisions and CER at various stages of ECSC. This study investigates the effect of altruistic preferences of the ECP on CER using Stackelberg models. It then develops a ‘cost-sharing’ contract to coordinate the system. The results indicate: (1) The degree of altruistic preferences of the ECP is influenced by the level of service it offers, and this effect varies at various stages of ECSC. (2) CER level and supply chain benefits are mostly influenced by the R&D difficulty of service technologies and CER technologies. (3) Altruistic preferences can raise CER levels in the initial stages of ECSC, but this is not always the case in the mature stage. (4) The cost-sharing contract with a jointly designed altruistic preference can increase CER level of the manufacturer and supplier chain advantages.