TY - JOUR
T1 - Beyond the new normal for sustainability
T2 - transformative operations and supply chain management for negative emissions
AU - Matos, Stelvia V.
AU - Schleper, Martin C.
AU - Hall, Jeremy K.
AU - Baum, Chad M.
AU - Low, Sean
AU - Sovacool, Benjamin K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, Stelvia V. Matos, Martin C. Schleper, Jeremy K. Hall, Chad M. Baum, Sean Low and Benjamin K. Sovacool.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Purpose: This paper aims to explore three operations and supply chain management (OSCM) approaches for meeting the 2 °C targets to counteract climate change: adaptation (adjusting to climatic impacts); mitigation (innovating towards low-carbon practices); and carbon-removing negative emissions technologies (NETs). We suggest that adaptation nor mitigation may be enough to meet the current climate targets, thus calling for NETs, resulting in the following question: How can operations and supply chains be reconceptualized for NETs? Design/methodology/approach: We draw on the sustainable supply chain and transitions discourses along with interview data involving 125 experts gathered from a broad research project focused on geoengineering and NETs. We analyze three case studies of emerging NETs (biochar, direct air carbon capture and storage and ocean alkalinity enhancement), leading to propositions on the link between OSCM and NETs. Findings: Although some NETs are promising, there remains considerable variance and uncertainty over supply chain configurations, efficacy, social acceptability and potential risks of unintended detrimental consequences. We introduce the concept of transformative OSCM, which encompasses policy interventions to foster the emergence of new technologies in industry sectors driven by social mandates but lack clear commercial incentives. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first that studies NETs from an OSCM perspective. It suggests a pathway toward new industry structures and policy support to effectively tackle climate change through carbon removal.
AB - Purpose: This paper aims to explore three operations and supply chain management (OSCM) approaches for meeting the 2 °C targets to counteract climate change: adaptation (adjusting to climatic impacts); mitigation (innovating towards low-carbon practices); and carbon-removing negative emissions technologies (NETs). We suggest that adaptation nor mitigation may be enough to meet the current climate targets, thus calling for NETs, resulting in the following question: How can operations and supply chains be reconceptualized for NETs? Design/methodology/approach: We draw on the sustainable supply chain and transitions discourses along with interview data involving 125 experts gathered from a broad research project focused on geoengineering and NETs. We analyze three case studies of emerging NETs (biochar, direct air carbon capture and storage and ocean alkalinity enhancement), leading to propositions on the link between OSCM and NETs. Findings: Although some NETs are promising, there remains considerable variance and uncertainty over supply chain configurations, efficacy, social acceptability and potential risks of unintended detrimental consequences. We introduce the concept of transformative OSCM, which encompasses policy interventions to foster the emergence of new technologies in industry sectors driven by social mandates but lack clear commercial incentives. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first that studies NETs from an OSCM perspective. It suggests a pathway toward new industry structures and policy support to effectively tackle climate change through carbon removal.
KW - Carbon removal
KW - Climate change
KW - Negative emissions technologies (NETs)
KW - Sustainable innovation
KW - Transformative operations and supply chain management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85202185426&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/IJOPM-06-2024-0487
DO - 10.1108/IJOPM-06-2024-0487
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85202185426
SN - 0144-3577
VL - 44
SP - 263
EP - 295
JO - International Journal of Operations and Production Management
JF - International Journal of Operations and Production Management
IS - 13
ER -