PurposeThis study intends to investigate drivers and consequences of supply chain coordination (SCC) towards green to highlight some convincing evidence for an emerging country's exporters to promote sustainable coffee development.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered from surveying 189 managers of coffee exporters in Vietnam and then applied PLS-SEM for analysis.FindingsThis study demonstrates that top management sensitivity, along with institutional forces of regulation, market and competition, strongly stimulate exporters' supply chain coordination towards green. Additionally, that coordination boosts the export financial and market performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings may not be generalizable because the current study only included data from Vietnamese coffee exporters.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the current literature by looking from the perspective of coffee exporters – leading players in supply chains for export. The research findings represent the first solid argument for Vietnam coffee exporters to encourage SCC towards green and reveal several implications for managers and policymakers to support sustainable development in an emerging country.