Overcoming organization barriers to adopting sustainable business practices

Abstract

Companies of all sizes are now looking for ways to reduce their energy use and carbon emissions, motivated by the desire to save money, improve public relations, and prepare for a possible carbon tax. From a technical perspective, reducing energy use and reducing carbon emissions represent opportunities to save on operating costs. However, the largest barriers to adopting better energy practices are often organizational, rather than technical. This work shows how organizational structure can hinder efforts to improve energy performance and recommends ways to overcome these barriers.