A Qualitative Investigation of German Manufacturing Enterprises’ Efforts to Incorporate Sustainability Into Industrial Site Transformations
Main Article Content
Abstract
As part of the European Green Deal, Germany is committed to greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. To accommodate these goals, manufacturing enterprises are aiming to futureproof their sites through site transformations towards sustainability. Such efforts are affected by an inherent competition for usable space, as each successive transformation changes the overall site composition. Despite economic sustainability having the highest priority for enterprises, land is nonetheless being allocated to socio-environmental measures. To gauge current industrial efforts for sustainable transformation, a interview study with 19 experts was conducted. The experts represented the fields of site planning, facility management, and sustainability management. The study primarily focused on plans for next generational energy systems, including challenges faced during their planning and execution, supplemented by how land is used for further sustainability measures. The interviews were analyzed using Kuckartz’ qualitative content analysis. The results show proactive engagement by enterprises to meet climate goals ahead of regional policies. Within this scope, the goal of ensuring economic competitiveness is pursued through a variety of different means, such as security of energy supply, self-sufficiency, adaptability to new technologies and regulations, and staff retention. Organizational challenges were found to outweigh financial ones.
Article Details
Articles published in International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management are following the license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License: Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivs (by-nc-nd). Further information about Creative Commons
Authors can archive post-print (final draft post-refereering) on personal websites or institutional repositories under these conditions:
- Publishers version cannot be stored elsewhere but on publishers homepage
- Published source must be acknowledged
- Must link to publisher version
References
[1] European Commission, “Going Climate-Neutral By 2050: A strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral EU economy”, 2019. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2834/02074
[2] B. Urmersbach, "Ranking of the 20 countries with the largest gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 (in billions of US dollars)", 2025. https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/157841/umfrage/ranking-der-20-laender-mit-dem-groessten-bruttoinlandsprodukt/
[3] Planetary Boundaries Science (PBScience), "Planetary Health Check 2025". https://doi.org/10.48485/pik.2025.017
[4] A. Siemons, V. Liste, and H. McDonald, "Funding climate-friendly soil management– key issues: Land use competition", Umweltbundesamt, 2022. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/11740/publikationen/10.funding_climate-friendly_soil_management_factsheet_land_use_competition.pdf
[5] J. Terrados, G. Almonacid, and J. Aguiler, "Energy Planning: a Sustainable Approach", Paths to Sustainable Energy (2010). https://doi.org/10.5772/12847
[6] O. Aromasodun, M. Biala, and A. Shitu, "Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth in Africa: Regional Insights for Sustainable Energy Planning", IJSEPM (vol. 47) (2025), p. 119–131. https://doi.org/10.54337/ijsepm.10101
[7] F. Tamtam and A. Tourabi, "Adaptive Planning of Renewable Energy Technologies: A Hybrid Fuzzy Dombi–MAIRCA Framework for Sustainable Energy Management," IJSEPM (vol. 48) (2026), p. 74–88. https://doi.org/10.54337/ijsepm.10170
[8] World Commission on Environment and Development, "Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development", 1987. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf
[9] B. Purvis, Y. Mao, and D. Robinson, "Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins", Sustain Sci (vol. 14, no. 3) (2019), p. 681–695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0627-5
[10] D. Griggs et al., "Sustainable development goals for people and planet", Nature (vol. 495, no. 7441) (2013) p. 305–307. https://doi.org/10.1038/495305a
[11] J. Rockström and P. Sukhdev, "The SDGs wedding cake: A new way of viewing the Sustainable Development Goals", 2016. https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2016-06-14-the-sdgs-wedding-cake.html
[12] W. Zeug et al., "Holistic and integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of prospective biomass to liquid production in Germany", Journal of Cleaner Production (vol. 418) (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138046
[13] R. J. David and S.-K. Han, "A systematic assessment of the empirical support for transaction cost economics", Strategic Management Journal (vol. 25, no. 1) (2004), p. 39–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.359
[14] O. Ozen, M. Frank, S. Seyfried, J. Alsheimer, and M. Weigold, "Development of a Methodology for Energy Supply Transformation Strategies to Support Net-Zero Production", 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-86893-1_44
[15] V. Sredic, "The Impact of Transformable Area Systems on Factory Planning Theory and Practice: A Study of Automobile Manufacturing Plants", 2023. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11829.14569
[16] B. Bigliardi et al., "Sustainable Additive Manufacturing in the context of Industry 4.0: a literature review", Procedia Computer Science (vol. 232) (2024), p. 766–774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2024.01.076
[17] M. Hassan, N. Yazawa, and R. Cong, "Scenario-Based Framework for National Energy Storage Integration in Decarbonization Pathways", IJSEPM (vol. 47) (2025), p. 7–20. https://doi.org/10.54337/ijsepm.10125
[18] A. Bang, S. Nielsen, and H. Lund, "Translating National Energy Vision into Local Scenarios", IJSEPM (vol. 46) (2025), p. 4–23. https://doi.org/10.54337/ijsepm.10490
[19] C. Kaucher, K. Erlach, and T. Bauernhansl, "Planning Method for Future-Proof Factory Buildings", Procedia CIRP (vol. 120) (2023), p. 15–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2023.08.004
[20] S. Kapp, J.-K. Choi, and T. Hong, "Predicting industrial building energy consumption with statistical and machine-learning models informed by physical system parameters", Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (vol. 172) (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.113045
[21] M. H. Jabeur, S. Mahjoub, and C. Toublanc, "Sustainable Production Scheduling with On-Site Intermittent Renewable Energy and Demand-Side Management: A Feed-Animal Case Study", Energies (vol. 16, no. 14) (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/en16145433
[22] P. Su, Y. Zhou, and J. Wu, "Multi-objective scheduling of a steelmaking plant integrated with renewable energy sources and energy storage systems: Balancing costs, emissions and make-span", Journal of Cleaner Production (vol. 428) (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139350
[23] S. E. Ibitoye et al., "An overview of biochar production techniques and application in iron and steel industries", Bioresources and Bioprocessing (vol. 11, no. 1) (2024), p. 65. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40643-024-00779-z
[24] J. Schulz, F. Rosenberg, V. M. Scharmer, and M. F. Zaeh, "Characterization of Energy Consumers in Production Systems with Renewable On-Site Power Generation", APMS (vol 591) (2020), p. 19–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57993-7_3
[25] M. Schmid et al., "The hydrogen dilemma: An industrial site-specific case study on the transformation pathway toward renewable hydrogen", International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (vol. 161) (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.150660
[26] A. Asplund and L. J. Nilsson, "Perspective on industrial electrification and utility scale PV in the Arctic region", IJSEPM (vol. 41) (2024), p. 34–44. https://doi.org/10.54337/ijsepm.8180
[27] B. Karthikeyan and G. Praveen Kumar, "Thermoeconomic and optimization approaches for integrating cooling, power, and green hydrogen production in dairy plants with a novel solar-biomass cascade ORC system", Energy Conversion and Management (vol. 295) (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2023.117645
[28] F. Ghionda et al., "Optimizing the integration of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and flexibility solutions in a multi-network pharmaceutical industry", IJSEPM (vol. 41) (2024), p. 87–107. https://doi.org/10.54337/ijsepm.8167
[29] T. Kohne, "Optimierungsmethodik zur Investitions- und Einsatzplanung der Fernwärmeanbindung industrieller Energiesysteme", tuprints, 2023. https://doi.org/10.26083/tuprints-00026436
[30] L. M. Pastore et al., "Coupling high-temperature electrolysis and industrial waste heat for on-site green hydrogen production: energy, economic and environmental analysis", International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (vol. 126) (2025), p. 87–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.04.069
[31] A. Mahamoud Abdi, T. Murayama, S. Nishikizawa, and K. Suwanteep, "Factors Influencing Trust in Geothermal Energy Projects," IJSEPM, vol. 46, pp. 78–91, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.54337/ijsepm.10001
[32] F. Mueller et al., “Green factory planning framework and modules for a flexible approach”, APMS (vol. 414) (2013) p. 167–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41266-0_21
[33] M. Z. Hauschild, S. Kara, and I. Røpke, "Absolute sustainability: Challenges to life cycle engineering", CIRP Annals (vol. 69, no. 2) (2020), p. 533–553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirp.2020.05.004
[34] A. M. Bilyaminu et al., "Industrial symbiosis and eco-industrial transformation opportunities for environmental protection in Nigeria", Sustainable Production and Consumption (vol. 49) (2024), p. 219–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.06.010
[35] P. W. S. Fernando, G. P. T. S. Hemakumara, P. Hewage, and G. R. A. Sampath, "Implementing the Concept of Green Space: The Case of Hirdaramani Mihila CKT Apparel Factory in Agalawatte, Sri Lanka", Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning (vol. 26) (2024), p. 65–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2024.2383685
[36] A. Trubetskaya et al., "A Methodology for Industrial Water Footprint Assessment Using Energy-Water-Carbon Nexus", Processes (vol. 9, no. 2) (2021), p. 393, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020393
[37] N. Banti, C. Ciacci, V. Di Naso, and F. Bazzocchi, "Green Walls as Retrofitting Measure: Influence on Energy Performance of Existing Industrial Buildings in Central Italy, " Buildings (vol. 13, no. 2) (2023), p. 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020369
[38] S. Liu et al., "Simulating and mitigating extreme urban heat island effects in a factory area based on machine learning", Building and Environment (vol. 202) (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108051
[39] F. Bücken and H. Kanning, "Klimaanpassung von Logistikstandorten – eine Szenarienanalyse", Standort (vol. 45, no. 4) (2021), p. 252–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00548-021-00717-7
[40] Y. Zhou, "Ocean energy applications for coastal communities with artificial intelligence a state-of-the-art review", Energy and AI (vol. 10) (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyai.2022.100189
[41] A. Bruns et al., "A Water Perspective on Land Competition", 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33628-2_19
[42] J. Niewöhner et al., "Land Use Competition: Ecological, Economic and Social Perspectives", 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33628-2
[43] C. Helfferich, "Leitfaden- und Experteninterviews", Handbuch Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung, 2022, p. 669–686. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-37985-8_55
[44] O. Ozen, "Supplementary Documents", 2025. https://tudatalib.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/handle/tudatalib/4896
[45] U. Kuckartz, "Qualitative Text Analysis: A Systematic Approach", Compendium for Early Career Researchers in Mathematics Education, 2019, p. 181–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15636-7_8
[46] U. Kuckartz, "Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse Methoden, Praxis, Computerunterstützung", Weinheim und Basel: Beltz Juventa, 2014. https://doi.org/10.21240/merz/2013.1.23
[47] T. Kohne, "The Darmstadt Energy Laboratory for Technologies in Application: Overview Paper – Living Lab Delta", TUprints, 2013. https://doi.org/10.26083/tuprints-00026384