The Transition to a Low Carbon Economy: The Dynamics of Environmental Stakeholder Networks

The transition to a low carbon economy demands new strategies for maintaining competitiveness and benefiting from ‘green growth’. A network of stakeholders offers opportunities for, as well as constraints to, organisational growth and successful low carbon strategies. This multiple-case study explores the relational dynamics between the case organisations and a range of stakeholders. We find that stakeholders with institutional power bases are seen as the most influential. Top management is also a critical stakeholder in providing stewardship for the organisation’s low carbon initiatives. The study highlights the growing influence of customers upon the success of business strategies aimed at exploiting low carbon opportunities. Intraand inter-organisational strategy-making practices are emergent arenas for stakeholder management in the context of the low carbon economy.