Tackling climate change implies reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However,
most companies need to be profitable to continue to exist. Facing these two corporate survival
rules from the present world, this thesis aims to provide guidance to companies for facing these
imperatives, by exploring answers to the following question: By formalizing their capability
dedicated to reducing GHG emissions, can companies stop contributing to climate change while
sustaining their profitability? How relevant is it, and how should this capability be from
economic, organizational, and operational views? Rooting my qualitative approach in the
resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and several of its extensions (Natural RBV, Dynamic
RBV, dynamic capabilities framework, and knowledge-based theory of organizational
capability), I investigated through twelve individual semi-structured interviews of professionals
(primarily active in Germany). Through the application of the Gioia Methodology, my
empirical findings outlined three major interacting dimensions, i.e., a sustainable development
strategy, processes and asset positions, as well as the capability lifecycle. A shared vision within
the company appeared as a potential success factor for combining corporate GHG emissions
reduction and profitability. Yet, outlining the importance of collaboration between companies
and stakeholders, the exploitation of my findings pointed out a potential limit of the RBV.
«
Tackling climate change implies reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However,
most companies need to be profitable to continue to exist. Facing these two corporate survival
rules from the present world, this thesis aims to provide guidance to companies for facing these
imperatives, by exploring answers to the following question: By formalizing their capability
dedicated to reducing GHG emissions, can companies stop contributing to climate change while
sustaining their profit...
»