Table 6.

Industrial decarbonization capabilities

CategoryIndexCapabilityReference
Energy efficiency, renewables and low-carbon techD1Energy efficiency improvement(Agrawal et al., 2023; Gavahian, 2024; Pan and Pan, 2021)
D2Renewable energy adoption(Lu and Qiao, 2024; Orsini and Marrone, 2019; Pan and Pan, 2021)
D3Low-carbon technology integration (i.e. carbon capture and storage)(Bui et al., 2024; Cormos, 2025; Koilo, 2024; Pan and Pan, 2021; Yadav et al., 2024)
D4Energy market development(Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022)
Carbon management and policyD5Carbon pricing and trading (i.e. emission trading scheme, carbon market)(Ambekar et al., 2019; Chaturvedi et al., 2024; Liu and Zhu, 2024)
D6Carbon information management and disclosure(Ambekar et al., 2019)
D7Greenhouse gas (GHG) measuring and reporting(Lu and Qiao, 2024; Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022)
D8GHG regulation and climate institutions(Chaturvedi et al., 2024; Gavahian, 2024; Pan and Pan, 2021; Virmani et al., 2022)
CE and resource managementD9Application of sustainable materials, waste management and recycling(Ambekar et al., 2019; Gavahian, 2024; Orsini and Marrone, 2019; Yadav et al., 2024)
D10CE awareness from top management and consumers, knowledge and stakeholder engagement(Yadav et al., 2023)
D11Presence of economic and technical incentives and enablers for CE(Agrawal et al., 2023; Kumar et al., 2023)
Organizational culture, strategy and governanceD12Top management support and commitment(Agrawal et al., 2023; Bui et al., 2024; Jabbour et al., 2015; Lopes de Sousa Jabbour et al., 2020; Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022; Virmani et al., 2022)
D13Behavior change and employee engagement(Govindan, 2023; Jabbour et al., 2015; Ohene et al., 2023; Pan and Pan, 2021)
D14Adoption of a green brand and low-carbon business opportunities(Kumar et al., 2023; Lopes de Sousa Jabbour et al., 2020)
D15Organizational structure and decision-making(Agrawal et al., 2023; Peel et al., 2020; Virmani et al., 2022)
D16Strong organizational culture, governance, corporate social responsibility and policy(Kozlowska et al., 2024; Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022; Pan and Pan, 2021; Pan and Xiao, 2025; Virmani et al., 2022)
Technology, R&D and digital transformationD17Digitalization and presence of data analytics (i.e. business intelligence, digital self-service technology)(Agrawal et al., 2023; Govindan, 2023)
D18Automation and advanced manufacturing (i.e. high computing power, information and communication technologies)(Agrawal et al., 2023; Virmani et al., 2022)
D19R&D, technology and infrastructure development(Gavahian, 2024; Govindan, 2023; Kumar et al., 2023; Matviychuk et al., 2024; Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022; Pan and Xiao, 2025; Popp et al., 2024; Virmani et al., 2022)
D20Real-time sensing and monitoring(Agrawal et al., 2023)
Stakeholder engagement and collaborationD21Stakeholder collaboration and negotiation(Lopes de Sousa Jabbour et al., 2020; Matviychuk et al., 2024; Virmani et al., 2022)
D22Procurement and interorganizational cooperation(Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022; Ohene et al., 2023)
D23Awareness of users and supply chain (stakeholders’ sustainability awareness)(Koilo, 2024; Virmani et al., 2022)
Skills, knowledge and educationD24Employee training and development in sustainability(Gavahian, 2024; Jabbour et al., 2015; Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022; Pan and Pan, 2021; Popp et al., 2024; Virmani et al., 2022; Zhao et al., 2018)
D25Workforce existing expertise and skill management(Dohale et al., 2024; Virmani et al., 2022; Wehden et al., 2025)
Financial and economic toolsD26Cost management and availability of financial resources (i.e. life cycle cost management, strategic investments)(Agrawal et al., 2023; Ambekar et al., 2019; Dohale et al., 2024; Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022; Virmani et al., 2022)
D27Financial and economic capabilities (i.e. financing instruments, incentive schemes)(Chaturvedi et al., 2024; Dohale et al., 2024; Kozlowska et al., 2024; Matviychuk et al., 2024)
Operations and efficiencyD28Operational efficiency and service (i.e. improvement of time to market)(Agrawal et al., 2023; Koilo, 2024; Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022)
D29Process resilience and product quality (i.e. adoption of higher product safety, increased customization)(Agrawal et al., 2023)
D30Flexible and robust manufacturing(Agrawal et al., 2023; Miklautsch and Woschank, 2022)
Source(s): Authors’ own work

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