The role of green public procurement in enabling low-carbon cement with CCS: An innovation ecosystem perspective

Abstract

As a result of the increase in carbon emissions and climate change, it is imperative to innovate and implement new sustainable solutions across industries, including construction. The current study explores how an early upstream supplier (EUS) can influence actors in its innovation ecosystem and the degree to which the effect of green public procurement (GPP) can be increased. An increased degree of GPP is sought as an enabler for the EUS to succeed with its green business process innovation. Using a holistic case study methodology, comprising literature review, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, we examined the direct and indirect paths the EUS could utilize to influence public actors' degree of GPP. The case study is based on a Norwegian cement producer currently developing low-carbon cement with carbon capture and storage technology. Our findings show that public buyers actively influence GPP and that it is possible to effect change in the ecosystem from the supplier side. There is a high potential for an EUS in the construction industry to influence (downstream) public purchasers’ current practice. The study demonstrates the opportunities for an EUS to directly and indirectly influence the degree of GPP. It also highlights the challenges related to GPP and innovation in the construction industry.