Toward Eco-Friendly Urban Freight Transport: Regulatory Compliance, Green Logistics Practices, and Sustainable Logistics Performance

Sustainable urban freight transport must reconcile delivery reliability with mounting operational and environmental constraints. This study examined associations among Regulatory Support, Regulatory Compliance, Green Logistics Practices, and Sustainable Logistics Performance, including indirect pathways through compliance and green practices. A quantitative cross-sectional survey involved 300 respondents familiar with urban freight operations, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Regulatory Support was positively associated with Regulatory Compliance (β = 0.554, p < 0.001) and Green Logistics Practices (β = 0.347, p < 0.001). Regulatory Compliance was associated with Green Logistics Practices (β = 0.560, p < 0.001) and Sustainable Logistics Performance (β = 0.194, p < 0.001), while Green Logistics Practices was associated with Sustainable Logistics Performance (β = 0.493, p < 0.001). The direct Regulatory Support–performance path was smaller (β = 0.106, p = 0.047). Indirect associations were supported through Regulatory Compliance (β = 0.108, p = 0.001), Green Logistics Practices (β = 0.171, p < 0.001), and the sequential pathway through both constructs (β = 0.153, p < 0.001). By integrating Institutional Theory and the Natural Resource-Based View, this study provides a theory-informed interpretation of regulatory compliance and green logistics practices as distinct statistical pathways linking perceived regulatory support to sustainable logistics performance. These findings support coordinated regulatory and managerial attention, although the cross-sectional and self-reported data do not establish causal or objectively measured environmental improvements.