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Innovations in Business Models and Environmental Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 10995

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhongju Liao

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Guest Editor

School of Economics and Management, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: environmental policy; eco-innovation

Dr. Siying Long

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Guest Editor

School of Economics and Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: environmental policy; eco-innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human activities are pushing ecosystems to the brink, leading to a series of environmental crises, such as global warming, serious environmental pollution, and the depletion of natural resources. As the main subjects of social and economic activities, firms must comprehensively innovate in business models to contribute to environmental sustainability. Firms should consider engaging in activities in a sustainable manner, including reusing product materials, adopting clean production processes, and improving resource efficiency. However, how can firms create and deliver value in sustainable business models? In each part of the whole product life-cycle, what should firms pay attention to while taking innovative actions? Furthermore, we know relatively little about the antecedents, outcomes and contexts of sustainability-oriented business model innovations. Researchers can integrate various perspectives such as business model innovation, institutional theory, corporate social responsibility, and resource-based view to help understand related research topics. Papers may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

(1) Insights in circular business models;

(2) Insights in environmental sustainability;

(3) Antecedents of sustainability-oriented business model innovations;

(4) Long-term and short-term effects of environmental innovation;

(5) The mechanism between business models and environmental sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Zhongju Liao
Dr. Siying Long
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

environmental sustainability
circular business models
business model innovation
sustainability
green product

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 632 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Innovation-Driven Policy and Low-Carbon Technology Innovation: Research Driven by the Impetus of National Innovative City Pilot Policy in China

by Zhengjun Hu and Shanshan Li

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8723; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118723 - 29 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1245

Abstract

Since 2008, China has established innovative pilot cities in batches, with green and low-carbon principles and objectives as the core of the NICP policy. Therefore, it is of great significance to accurately evaluate the driving effect of the NICP policy on low-carbon technology innovation, to expand the coverage of pilot cities in a prudent and orderly manner. The research focuses on the economic and environmental potential of the national innovative city pilot (NICP) policy. However, the relationship between the NICP policy and low-carbon technology innovation remains to be examined. This article employs a sample of 274 prefecture-level cities in China spanning the years 2003 to 2020 for research purposes, and uses a series of methods such as time-varying DID and intermediary effect models to examine the impelling impact and intricate workings of the NICP policy on low-carbon technology innovation. The study found that: (i) The NICP policy possesses the potential to impel innovation in low-carbon technology, and the impact of the policy exhibits a fluctuating yet upward trajectory over time. (ii) The NICP policy promotes low-carbon technology innovation through financial technology investment, population aggregation, and digital construction. (iii) The innovation effect of the NICP policy is significantly influenced by resource endowment and the disclosure of environmental information. The impact of the NICP policy on innovation in low-carbon technology is more pronounced in resource-based cities than non-resource-based cities, and it is particularly noteworthy in well-established resource-based cities with abundant resource endowments. The impetus generated by the NICP policy towards the innovation of low-carbon technology is notably more substantial for cities that exhibit elevated levels of environmental information disclosure. Local governments should implement active environmental information disclosure at the city level. This paper not only enriches the relevant research on low-carbon technology innovation but also provides empirical evidence for promoting the NICP policy nationwide. Additionally, it serves as a policy reference for creating innovative characteristic cities under the “dual carbon” goal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Business Models and Environmental Sustainability)

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22 pages, 1542 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Capabilities, Environmental Management Capabilities, Stakeholder Pressure and Eco-Innovation of Chinese Manufacturing Firms: A Moderated Mediation Model

by Zhunxin Huang and Zengrui Xiao

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7571; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097571 - 5 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2243

Abstract

Growing social and academic concerns toward environmental sustainability are constantly driving attention toward eco-innovation as an effective solution to environmental problems. Extant studies on drivers of eco-innovation have not fully investigated the interaction mechanisms between different factors. Drawing upon the resource-based view, stakeholder theory, and environmental literature, this paper aims to explore the mechanisms of how firm capabilities and perceived stakeholder pressure interact to facilitate eco-innovation. Based on survey data collected from 169 Chinese manufacturing firms, the results of regression analysis based on bootstrap resampling method show that environmental management system (EMS) completely mediates the relationship between dynamic capabilities (including absorptive capability and reconfiguring capability) and eco-innovation (including eco-process and eco-product innovation). Furthermore, the relationship between absorptive/reconfiguring capabilities and EMS, as well as the direct and indirect relationship between absorptive capability and eco-process innovation, is contingent upon stakeholder pressure. The direct and indirect effects become stronger when managers perceive higher stakeholder pressure. This paper contributes to answering why firms undertake environmental activities beyond compliance through specifying the interaction between firm capabilities and stakeholder pressure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Business Models and Environmental Sustainability)

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22 pages, 1021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Value Cocreation on CSR Innovation and Economic Performance

by Rong Wu, Jian Zhang, Yubing Yu, Sajjad M. Jasimuddin and Justin Zuopeng Zhang

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4008; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054008 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2214

Abstract

Based on the resource-based view (RBV) and value cocreation theories, this study investigated how supplier value cocreation, intracompany value cocreation, and customer value cocreation influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) innovation and economic performance. We collected data from 200 manufacturers to test the proposed relationships. The results showed that value cocreation had different positive impacts on CSR; intracompany value cocreation had the greatest impact, followed by customer and supplier value cocreation. CSR did not have a significant positive effect on economic performance. Companies’ innovation capacities completely mediated the relationship between CSR and economic performance. The findings of the analysis have theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, this study broadens the research scope on CSR innovation and value cocreation. Practically, it helps companies realize that by sharing information, establishing cooperative relations, and conducting interactions with stakeholders, which can promote the implementation of CSR innovation practices, economic performance can be improved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Business Models and Environmental Sustainability)

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14 pages, 2298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Innovation Management in the Shrimp Sector of the Municipality of Guasave, State of Sinaloa, Mexico

by Lizbeth Beltrán-Lugo, Fridzia Izaguirre-Díaz de León, Víctor Peinado-Guevara, Héctor Peinado-Guevara, Jaime Herrera-Barrientos, Aldo Alan Cuadras-Berrelleza and Miguel Ángel Montoya-Leyva

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3161; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043161 - 9 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1664

Abstract

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing productive sectors in recent years, so much so that it has surpassed traditional fishing. The aim is to make its production processes sustainable, mainly economically and environmentally, through continuous innovation. Hence, the objective is to determine the relevance of sustainable innovation management in the shrimp sector in the municipality of Guasave, state of Sinaloa, Mexico, as a determining factor in the search for social and environmental well-being in this region of the Mexican Pacific. With this in mind, the present research was designed as an exploratory–explanatory study, under a qualitative approach with a multiple case study strategy using the Likert scale. To this purpose, 24 surveys were applied to the owners and managers of six farms specializing in shrimp production, with a continuous production of 10 years and a minimum of 100 hectares cultivated in recent years. Each survey consisted of seven themes and a total of 37 items to analyze eight indicators which influence the sustainable innovative management of the shrimp sector. The survey results indicate that the perception of entrepreneurs toward the relevance of sustainable innovation management is favorable, with 96% agreeing to encourage innovation, 83% agreeing to invest in new equipment and methods, and 83% in favor of their participation in markets. Moreover, the correlation between the indicators to determine the influence of sustainable innovation management is significant at 0.69 and 0.86. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Business Models and Environmental Sustainability)

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24 pages, 3868 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Business Models for Industrial Symbiosis: A Literature Review

by Giselle Rentería Núñez and David Perez-Castillo

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9142; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129142 - 6 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2741

Abstract

In recent years, companies have tried to implement various strategies focused on sustainability that impact the way they do business. This is how industrial symbiosis, which is a collaborative approach that favors the exchange of material, infrastructure, and energy resources that create economic and environmental benefits, arises. The implementation of industrial symbiosis is complex and requires collaboration and knowledge. Although there are empirical studies in countries where it has been developed, thus far, there has been no study integrating the advances in knowledge about industrial symbiosis. The main objective of this study is to become familiar with the current state-of-the-art industrial symbiosis and its business models in order to identify areas of opportunity and knowledge gaps. Through a bibliometric analysis and a systematic review of the literature, a codification of the dimensions and categories of the literature was carried out, identifying various tools, as well as theoretical models, simulation models, and business models designed to implement and evaluate a transition toward industrial symbiosis. The results indicate that the most studied variables are the material flow and the possible strategies that companies can adopt to move toward industrial symbiosis. However, there is still a need to go deeper into the study of cultural transformation, the ideal mechanisms to record and exchange information, and what negotiations are required to encourage collaboration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Business Models and Environmental Sustainability)

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