| 1. |
- Allwood, J. M., et al.
(författare)
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An approach to scenario analysis of the sustainability of an industrial sector applied to clothing and textiles in the UK
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 16:12, s. 1234-1246
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Companies aiming to be 'sustainability leaders' in their sector and governments wanting to support their ambitions need a means to assess the changes required to make a significant difference in the impact of their whole sector. Previous work on scenario analysis/scenario planning demonstrates extensive developments and applications, but as yet few attempts to integrate the 'triple bottom line' concerns of sustainability into scenario planning exercises. This paper, therefore, presents a methodology for scenario analysis of large change to an entire sector. The approach includes calculation of a 'triple bottom line graphic equaliser' to allow exploration and evaluation of the trade-offs between economic, environmental and social impacts. The methodology is applied to the UK's clothing and textiles sector, and results from the study of the sector are summarised. In reflecting on the specific study, some suggestions are made about future application of a similar methodology, including a template of candidate solutions that may lead to significant reduction in impacts.
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| 2. |
- Blasch, J., et al.
(författare)
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New clean energy communities in polycentric settings : Four avenues for future research
- 2021
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Ingår i: Energy Research and Social Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-6296. ; 82
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Given the gaps between EU ambitions regarding energy community development and the current reality of clean energy communities in Europe, we explore a research framework enabling viable multi- and interdisciplinary research into new clean energy communities. We offer a definition of new clean energy communities, discuss their potential for wider dissemination and identify four factors that contribute to the current mismatch between ambitions and reality in energy community development. As a broader framework for interdisciplinary research into the field of new clean energy communities, we propose polycentric governance theory, considering the fact that the area of community energy systems is essentially multi-scalar, and that the rules of engagement in such systems are of great significance. This opens up four avenues for research on energy communities, which we outline in terms of enabling institutional contexts, potential for learning and transferability, business models and value propositions, and evaluation of outcomes and processes.
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| 3. |
- Baldassarre, B., et al.
(författare)
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Bridging sustainable business model innovation and user-driven innovation : A process for sustainable value proposition design
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 147, s. 175-186
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With an increasing population, a growing middle class and increased resource use, our current ways of living and doing business are unsustainable. Next to the implementation of innovative technology, sustainable development based on innovative business models, better understating of customer needs and behavioural change are crucial. This research aims at combining principles from both sustainable business model innovation and user-driven innovation to develop more successful, radical and user-centred sustainable value propositions. Sustainable business model innovation entails developing value propositions that create value for multiple stakeholders at the same time, including customers, shareholders, suppliers and partners as well as the environment and society. User-driven innovation allows developing solutions that are meaningful for people and profitable for business by involving potential customers, users and/or other stakeholders in an experimental and iterative design process. The study adopts a research through design methodology, a qualitative research approach that uses design practice to inform research. To this end, a design project in the framework of the Climate-KIC (the largest European partnership addressing the challenge of climate change) was investigated. As a result, this paper proposes a process for sustainable value proposition design which adopts a thorough, dynamic and iterative perspective (talking to stakeholders, thinking about the problem, testing the product/service) that leads to an actual sustainable value proposition and to a superior problem-solution fit. In practice, managers are provided with an initial methodological framework for mapping and understanding the stakeholders in a broad sense (including and especially users), identifying their needs and interests, and progressively combining them into a more meaningful and enriching value proposition.
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| 4. |
- Bocken, N. M.P., et al.
(författare)
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Development of a tool for rapidly assessing the implementation difficulty and emissions benefits of innovations
- 2012
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Ingår i: Technovation; The International Journal of Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0166-4972. ; 32:1, s. 19-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Consumer goods manufacturers aiming to reduce the environmental impact associated with their products commonly pursue incremental change strategies, but more radical approaches may be required if we are to address the challenges of sustainable consumption. One strategy to realize step change reductions is to prepare a portfolio of innovations providing different levels of impact reduction in exchange for different levels of organizational resource commitment. In this research a tool is developed to support this strategy, starting with the assumption that through brainstorming or other eco-innovation approaches, a long-list of candidate innovations has been created. The tool assesses the potential greenhouse gas benefit of an innovative option against the difficulty of its implementation. A simple greenhouse gas benefit assessment method based on streamlined LCA was used to analyze impact reduction potential, and a novel measure of implementation difficulty was developed. The predictions of implementation difficulty were compared against expert opinion, and showed similar results indicating the measure can be used sensibly to predict implementation difficulty. The assessment of the environmental gain versus implementation difficulty is visualized in a matrix, showing the trade-offs of several options. The tool is deliberately simple with scalar measures of CO 2 emissions benefits and implementation difficulty so tool users must remain aware of other potential environmental burdens besides greenhouse gases (e.g. water, waste). In addition, although relative life cycle emissions benefits of an option may be low, the absolute impact of an option can be high and there may be other co-benefits, which could justify higher levels of implementation difficulty. Different types of consumer products (e.g. household, personal care, foods) have been evaluated using the tool. Initial trials of the tool within Unilever demonstrate that the tool facilitates rapid evaluation of low-carbon innovations.
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| 5. |
- Bocken, N. M.P., et al.
(författare)
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Development of an eco-ideation tool to identify stepwise greenhouse gas emissions reduction options for consumer goods
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 19:12, s. 1279-1287
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pressure on consumer goods manufacturers to develop new products with significantly less environmental impact is growing, through increased consumer awareness of environmental issues and governments setting ambitious emissions reductions targets. A strategic response to this pressure is to prepare a portfolio of innovative product ideas to meet a range of future emissions reductions targets. However, although extensive work exists on ideation (the generation of novel product ideas) and eco-design (design for reduced environmental impact), eco-ideation (generation of ideas that particularly aim to reduce environmental impacts) has had little attention. The challenge of eco-ideation is to release the creativity of a broad range of employees, only few of whom may be familiar with the drivers of environmental impact. This paper proposes a novel tool to facilitate the generation of radical product and process ideas giving step-change reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The features of products and processes that drive greenhouse gas emissions across the product life cycle were characterized with a set of indicators. A simple visual tool was created to show these indicators on a sliding scale between best and worst imaginable performance. A leading question associated with each slider was designed to stimulate lower impact ideas. The tool was iteratively refined and simplified through structured testing with individuals from across a range of roles and differing knowledge of environmental impacts. The final eco-ideation tool used 14 scales, with leading questions for each scale developed to stimulate idea generation. The tool's effectiveness was evaluated through use in a series of 15 individual workshops and compared with the outcomes of an equal number of conventional 12-person group-brainstorming sessions. The comparison suggests that using the simple tool generally leads to a wider range of more radical ideas than emerge from group brainstorming.
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| 6. |
- Bocken, N. M.P., et al.
(författare)
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Towards a sufficiency-driven business model : Experiences and opportunities
- 2016
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Ingår i: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. - : Elsevier BV. - 2210-4224. ; 18, s. 41-61
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Business model innovation is an important lever for change to tackle pressing sustainability issues. In this paper, 'sufficiency' is proposed as a driver of business model innovation for sustainability. Sufficiency-driven business models seek to moderate overall resource consumption by curbing demand through education and consumer engagement, making products that last longer and avoiding built-in obsolescence, focusing on satisfying 'needs' rather than promoting 'wants' and fast-fashion, conscious sales and marketing techniques, new revenue models, or innovative technology solutions. This paper uses a case study approach to investigate how companies might use sufficiency as a driver for innovation and asserts that there can be a good business case for sufficiency. Business models of exemplar cases are analysed and insights are gained that will contribute to future research, policy makers and businesses interested in exploring sufficiency.
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| 7. |
- Bocken, N. M.P., et al.
(författare)
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Value mapping for sustainable business thinking
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2168-1015 .- 2168-1023. ; 32:1, s. 88-102
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pressures on business to operate sustainably are increasing. This requires companies to adopt a systemic approach that seeks to integrate consideration of the three dimensions of sustainability - social, environmental, and economic - in a manner that generates shared value creation for all stakeholders including the environment and society. This is referred to as sustainable business thinking. The business model concept offers a framework for system-level innovation for sustainability and provides the conceptual linkage with the activities of the firm such as design, production, supply chains, partnerships, and distribution channels. A value mapping tool has been presented in the literature to assist in sustainable business model innovation. This study explores the use of value mapping for broader sustainable business thinking, by reflection on its use in workshop settings. A range of new applications is identified which is expected to be of interest to business practitioners, policy makers, and academic researchers.
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| 8. |
- Brown, P., et al.
(författare)
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A process model for collaboration in circular oriented innovation
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 286
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Circular oriented innovation commonly requires collaboration. Yet, to date, circular research lacks empirical investigation into collaborative processes. Collaborative processes are, however, highly researched within strategic management literature, thus offering valuable insights. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, identify and order the processes that companies undertake when designing and implementing collaborations for circular oriented innovation. Firstly, we integrate disparate strategic management literature to identify collaborative process ‘know-how’ and relevant ‘building blocks’. Secondly, we generate practice-based insights, via semi-structured interviews and desk-research, across three research cycles to understand how companies collaborate within circular oriented innovation. Theoretical contributions stem from the assessment and integration of strategic management collaborative process knowledge into the circular context. Managerial contributions derive from the process model that describes how to build collaborative circular oriented innovation. Furthermore, the principal result is the empirical investigation and identification of collaborative circular oriented innovation challenges. Challenges relate to how to; 1) formulate an initial ‘circular proposition’, 2) involve the ‘right’ people, 3) align upon a shared circular purpose, 4) develop circular oriented governance and decision-making, and 5) develop a circular oriented value capture model focused on collective outcomes. These form the basis for our proposed future research agenda. This research agenda aims to stimulate researchers and practitioners to further demystify collaborative processes to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy.
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| 9. |
- Strupeit, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Towards a Circular Photovoltaic Economy: The Role of Service-based Business Models
- 2021
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Ingår i: PLATE Product Lifetimes And The Environment 2019 – Conference Proceedings. - 9783798331242 - 9783798331259 ; , s. 749-756
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Solar photovoltaics (PV) has experienced tremendous market growth and has large potential in the urgently needed transition towards a low-carbon energy system. The continued growth of the sector will, however, evoke new sustainability challenges with regard to efficient material use as well as end-of life management of PV products. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of potential Circular Economy actions in the PV sector, and explore the present and potential future role of servicebased business models in operationalizing these actions. Based on a review of academic and industry literature, the paper structures the circularity actions according to the ReSOLVE framework. The analysis also distinguishes between the role of product-oriented, use-oriented and result-oriented product-service systems (PSS). Results show that to result oriented business models have primarily been implemented in order to facilitate the adoption of PV deployment. Product-oriented PSS are widespread with the service component involving maintenance, repair, insurance and warranties. The paper further explores opportunities of service-based business models to enhance additional circularity actions such as a sharing, optimisation and looping, which so far are mostly in a conceptual or pilot stage only. Expanding beyond current practices, the paper explores future pathways of service-based business models to catalyse a range of additional circular economy actions in the PV sector, and discusses some of the associated key challenges and gaps in knowledge.
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| 10. |
- Tunn, V. S.C., et al.
(författare)
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Business models for sustainable consumption in the circular economy : An expert study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 212, s. 324-333
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Combining sustainable consumption with the circular economy concept could help tackle challenges, such as resource scarcity and climate change by reducing resource throughput and increasing cycling of products and materials within the economic system, thereby reducing emissions and virgin material use. To achieve sustainable consumption in a circular economy production and consumption practices need to change. Business models can potentially influence both practices as it defines how a company conducts business and shapes the company-consumer relationship. This paper developed future business models for sustainable consumption through two rounds of semi-structured interviews with experts from academia, industry, and policy. During the first interview round, four business model elements that are important for sustainable consumption were identified: Resource strategy, Revenue model, Consumer effort, and Objective to (decrease/increase) consumption level. Based on these elements, we developed a comprehensive business model framework. Using this framework, experts envisioned future business models for sustainable consumption of clothing during the second interview round. The findings of this study suggest that the most promising business models for sustainable consumption are those that reduce overall consumption levels and consumer effort. Further, we found that a diverse range of business models in the market can potentially enable different customer segments to consume sustainably.
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