Broadening to sustainability the perspective of industrial decision-makers on the energy efficiency measures adoption: some empirical evidence

Abstract

Industry should take further efforts towards increased energy efficiency, that is a major contributor to improve industrial sustainability performance, by implementing energy efficiency measures (EEMs). However, the rate of adoption of these measures is still quite low. Hitherto, EEMs and barriers to their adoption have been evaluated almost exclusively from the viewpoint of energy efficiency decision makers, not accounting for the broader sustainability perspective. This work aims at understanding whether an industrial sustainability perspective can better address issues related to EEMs adoption, analysing the question through different viewpoints and insights offered by industrial decision makers of different industrial sustainability areas within a firm. By doing this, we aim at offering a contribution in the understanding of the low rate of adoption of EEMs. As case studies, we investigated twelve firms from Northern Italy. In comparison to previous literature, results show that an industrial sustainability perspective can better explain the real decision-making process of adopting an EEM. Indeed, people knowledgeable about different industrial sustainability areas may perceive different barriers about the same EEM. EEMs may be negatively affected by reasons related to other areas of industrial sustainability, whilst positive reciprocal impacts may exist among areas of industrial sustainability; thus, EEMs may have effects on areas other than energy efficiency, and these effects may be perceived only by such areas. The study concludes with some remarks for policy and industrial decision-makers and advice for further research.

Addressing Sustainable Social Change for All: Upcycled-Based Social Creative Businesses for the Transformation of Socio-Technical Regimes

“…Logically, all organizations are concerned with sustainability issues [4,42]. Additionally, respondents reported difficulties for people when explaining what upcycled arts is outside the organization, and why it is important.…”

Management control for sustainability : Activities and procedures for energy management in industrial companies

“…This thesis also considers energy management as going beyond the production process and operational dimension (May et al, 2017;Schulze et al, 2016), which is where eco-efficiency has its main focus 21 (Glavič and Lukman, 2007). The non-energy benefits of working with energy management also imply that energy management potentially can contribute to sustainability in a broader sense, particularly for industrial sustainability (Cagno et al, 2018;Trianni et al, 2017a), and go beyond solely the environmental dimension of sustainability. Hence, while this thesis acknowledges the role of energy efficiency for eco-efficiency, it views energy efficiency and energy management as a means for sustainability in an industrial context.…”

“…Lueg and Radlach, 2016). Energy management, as a means to improve industrial sustainability (Cagno et al, 2018), has been researched more extensively, although mainly within the engineering discourse. Recent calls for research from organisational and strategic perspectives have been raised (Schulze et al, 2016), to which this thesis seeks to respond.…”

“…Improving energy efficiency, and thus eco-efficiency, is a 'win-win' strategy (e.g. Porter and van der Linde, 1995a), a "no-brainer" (Epstein and Yuthas, 2012), and a means for industrial sustainability (Cagno et al, 2018). The 'being green and competitive' argument emerged in the 1990s 3 (e.g.…”

“…Last, benefits such as improved health and work environment correspond to the social dimension. Hence, acknowledging these additional benefits may improve the business case for energy efficiency investments as well as contribute to industrial sustainability (Cagno et al, 2018). Moreover, energy efficiency is an output-input ratio (e.g.…”