What Motivates Companies to Take the Decision to Decarbonise?

Stefan M. Buettner (), Werner König, Frederick Vierhub-Lorenz and Marina Gilles
Additional contact information
Stefan M. Buettner: EEP—Institute for Energy Efficiency in Production, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Werner König: REZ—Reutlingen Energy Center for Distributed Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency, Reutlingen University, 72762 Reutlingen, Germany
Frederick Vierhub-Lorenz: EEP—Institute for Energy Efficiency in Production, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Marina Gilles: EEP—Institute for Energy Efficiency in Production, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-40

Abstract: What motivates industrial companies to decarbonise? While climate policy has intensified, the specific factors driving corporate decisions remain underexplored. This article addresses that gap through a mixed-methods study combining qualitative insights from a leading automotive supplier with quantitative data from over 800 manufacturing companies in Germany. The study distinguishes between internal motivators—such as risk reduction, future-proofing, and competitive positioning—and external drivers like regulation, supply chain pressure, and investor expectations. Results show that internal economic logic is the strongest trigger: companies act more ambitiously when decarbonisation aligns with their strategic interests. Positive motivators outperform external drivers in both influence and impact on ambition levels. For instance, long-term cost risks were rated more relevant than reputational gains or regulatory compliance. The analysis also reveals how company size, energy intensity, and supply chain position shape motivation patterns. The findings suggest a new framing for climate policy: rather than relying solely on mandates, policies should strengthen intrinsic motivators. Aligning business interests with societal goals is not only possible—it is a pathway to more ambitious, resilient, and timely decarbonisation. By turning external pressure into internal logic, companies can move from compliance to leadership in the climate transition.

Keywords: industrial decarbonisation; intrinsic motivation; emission reduction; energy efficiency; carbon neutrality; climate policy; strategic decision making; resilience; net-zero targets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/14/3780/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/14/3780/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:14:p:3780-:d:1703385

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().