Institutional Drivers of Green Procurement and Environmental Sustainability in Manufacturing Firms: A Systematic Review

The empirical data on how institutional factors affect green procurement procedures and environmental sustainability results in manufacturing companies is compiled in this systematic study. The review, which is based on institutional theory, looks at mimetic, normative, and coercive pressures as the main forces behind the adoption of sustainable procurement. The PRISMA 2020 standards were followed for conducting the systematic review. Peer-reviewed empirical research published between January 2010, and January 2026 were found by searching Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, PubMed, Emerald Insight, EBSCOhost, and African Journals Online (AJOL). Organisational reports and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses are examples of grey literature sources that were consulted. 47 studies met the inclusion criteria after 1,247 data were evaluated by two independent reviewers. JBI checklists and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) were used to assess quality. Thematic and narrative methods were used to synthesise the data. According to the review, normative forces (professional associations, industry norms), mimetic pressures (competition imitation), and coercive pressures (regulatory requirements) are the most commonly mentioned and powerful institutional drivers of green procurement adoption. The link between institutional demands and environmental sustainability results, such as emissions reduction, waste minimisation, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance, is partially mediated by green procurement strategies. These correlations are moderated by contextual variables, including company size, industry type, and geographic location. There is little longitudinal and mixed-methods research, and the majority of methodological techniques are quantitative cross-sectional surveys. By clarifying the various impacts of the three pressure types, this analysis offers a theoretical addition to Institutional Theory and a thorough synthesis of the scattered evidence on institutional drivers of green procurement. Practically speaking, the results guide management choices and the creation of policies that promote environmental sustainability in industrial processes.