From Program to Practice: Translating Energy Management in a Manufacturing Firm

Mette Talseth Solnørdal,Elin Anita Nilsen

doi:10.3390/su122310084

Abstract

A promising way to stimulate industrial energy efficiency is via energy management (EnM) practices. There is, however, limited knowledge on the implementation process of EnM in manufacturing firms. Aiming to fill this research gap, this study explores the implementation of a corporate environmental program in an incumbent firm and the ensuing emergence of EnM practices. Translation theory and the ‘travel of management ideas’ is used as a theoretical lens in this case study when analysing the process over a period of 10 years. Furthermore, based on a review and synthesis of prior studies, a ‘best EnM practice’ is developed and used as a baseline when assessing the EnM practices of the case firm. Building on this premise, we highlight four main findings: the pattern of translation dynamics, the key role of the energy manager during the implementation process, the abstraction level of the environmental program and, ‘translation competence’ as a new EnM practice. Managerial and policy implications, as well as avenues for further research, are provided based on these results.

Highlights

Increasing environmental degradation and risks from disasters have placed the mitigation of climate change and the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) among the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century
This study explores the implementation process of a corporate environmental program in a manufacturing firm, a perspective that has received limited attention in the energy management (EnM) literature
The analysis suggests that a wide spectrum of EnM practices have materialised during the studied period, and complements prior research suggesting a positive link between EnM practices and EE in manufacturing firms

Summary

Introduction

Increasing environmental degradation and risks from disasters have placed the mitigation of climate change and the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) among the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century. Increased industrial energy efficiency (EE) is an important means for sustainable development [2], and is essential to reach global sustainability targets such as the Paris Agreement [3] and the European 2030 climate and energy framework [4]. Manufacturing firms can increase their EE by implementing new technological measures in their production processes [5] that require less energy to perform the same functions [6], and by behavioural changes [7]. EE reduces energy costs [8] and increases productivity [9,10] and is positively related to firms’ financial performance [11,12] and competitiveness [13]. The manufacturing sector’s full potential remains unexploited [17,18,19], leading to an ‘EE gap’ [20] which denotes the discrepancy between the theoretically optimal and current level of EE

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion