The Interplay of ESG Performance and Global Supply Chains: An Input–Output Study of China, Japan, and the United States

This study examines how supply‐chain dependencies are associated with industry‐level ESG performance trajectories in China, Japan, and the United States over the period 2000–2021. Drawing on stakeholder and institutional theories, we adopt a meso‐level perspective that conceptualizes industries as structural units embedded within national production systems. An empirical framework combining multiregional input–output linkage measures and convergence analysis is applied to assess the roles of domestic consumption–based and export‐oriented supply‐chain dependencies. The results show that supply‐chain dependencies are systematically associated with environmental performance trajectories, whereas no comparable patterns are observed for social and governance dimensions. Domestic linkages play a more salient role than export‐oriented linkages, although their associations vary across institutional contexts. Complementary industry‐level case analyses reveal substantial sectoral heterogeneity, illustrating how differences in demand composition and production network positions shape ESG outcomes. Overall, the findings highlight the contingent role of supply‐chain structures in shaping industrial sustainability trajectories.