Navigating Digital Transformation towards Sustainability: A Maturity Model for Industrial Decarbonization

With the ever-growing need to increase environmental sustainability, industrial companies are at the forefront of a global transformation towards decarbonization. Therefore, it is imperative for manufacturers to adopt a systematic decarbonization approach. Leveraging Information Systems to drive a holistic industrial decarbonization and digitalization - which is increasingly referred to as ‘twin transformation’ - presents both a key challenge and a gateway to new opportunities for manufacturers. To effectively navigate the twin transformation, manufacturers need to assess and advance their maturity in applying Information Systems for decarbonization in their business practices. Against this background, this study follows the design science research paradigm and presents a maturity model that allows manufacturers to systematically leverage Information Systems’ capabilities to actively increase sustainability efforts in terms of Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emission reductions.