Towards Decarbonized Materials

Abstract

The transition to low-carbon materials is becoming an increasingly important part of industrial decarbonization. Steel is a particularly critical material in this transition due to its high carbon intensity and central role in manufacturing. This thesis explores how a European truck OEM can sustain momentum in its transition toward low-carbon steel, with a specific focus on the purchasing function and its role in supporting the adoption and diffusion of low-carbon materials. In doing so, the study contributes to the understanding of adopters in contemporary sustainability transitions. The study applies a qualitative case study design guided by a backcasting approach. Empirical material was collected through semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and documentary data. The analysis was informed by theories on sustainability transitions, transition management, and purchasing. The findings suggest that sustaining momentum requires recognizing the transition as a systemic process shaped by interconnected challenges across and beyond the value chain. Progress depends on strengthening collaboration and collective leadership across the steel ecosystem, while also addressing underlying paradigms and mindsets related to sustainability, value, and trust. The findings further highlight the importance of organizational conditions that create space for learning and experimentation, where ambidextrous structures support the gradual introduction and scaling of low-carbon steel within the truck OEM. The thesis further highlights purchasing organizations as important actors in sustainability transitions. By operating at the interface between upstream suppliers of innovation and downstream production, purchasing functions play an increasingly important role in supporting the diffusion of low-carbon solutions. This has also led purchasing to adopt new tools, practices, and organizational structures that are suited to long-term transformation processes characterized by uncertainty and experimentation.