Paving the Green Path: A Maturity Model for Digital Decarbonization

Digital transformation has been employed across all industries to enhance business operations. Its potential lies in optimising existing business models and creating innovative ones based on various technologies, making them fit for the future by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fulfilling future decarbonization goals. In order to ensure a successful digital transformation towards decarbonization, managers have to assess the capabilities of their organisation and competently oversee their journey by defining a clear path employing digital maturity models. For this purpose, the analysis focused on published literature concerning digital maturity models developed to guide organisations in navigating their digital transformation journey. A systematic literature review of 36 selected digital maturity models is presented in this paper. These models overlook decarbonisation measures and focus solely on demonstrating digital capabilities, efficiency and profit growth. Therefore, a maturity model for digital decarbonization encompassing dimensions of decarbonization goals, business model innovation, customers and suppliers, products and services, employees, collaboration, processes and activities, data, and IT-infrastructure, -security and -technology has been developed. It assists organisations in reducing their carbon footprint by strategically and effectively leveraging digital technologies. The proposed model has five maturity levels: assess and align, engage and refine, innovate and collaborate, optimize and personalize, and transform and decarbonize. This paper aims to assess the current level of digital decarbonization and determine the position of the organizations. Additionally, it endeavours to identify the specific opportunities for growth that digitalization presents, thereby enabling the creation of a new digital carbon-free existence.