Sustainability Integration Framework: Addressing the Sustainability Implementation Gap
Authors
Schrøder, Kathrine ; de Witt, Kathrine Glud ; Lee-Rosberg, Emma
Term
4. Term
Education
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-06-03
Abstract
This thesis investigates how corporate sustainability strategies are managed, tested, and turned into everyday practice in a large organization. The study is based on a case carried out in collaboration with Copenhagen Airports A/S and examines how sustainability is concretely integrated into the company’s ways of working. Using the concepts Staging Negotiation Spaces and Arena of Development, the thesis analyzes how sustainability strategies are made operational in this specific organizational setting. The findings show that sustainability is only weakly embedded in existing project structures and plays a limited role in how projects are prioritized and executed. Governance practices mainly follow the organization’s established value logics, and within these logics sustainability must be translated to gain real influence. The study also finds that implementation largely depends on informal coordination between employees, rather than on cross-functional collaboration, formal structures, and clearly defined responsibilities. As part of the project, the Sustainability Integration Framework (SIF) is developed to support the effective implementation of sustainability strategies and their translation into practice, particularly within the CPH Project Model.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan bæredygtighedsstrategier bliver styret, afprøvet og omsat til praksis i en stor organisation. Undersøgelsen bygger på et casestudie gennemført i samarbejde med Københavns Lufthavne A/S og ser på, hvordan bæredygtighed konkret bliver indarbejdet i virksomhedens måde at arbejde på. Med udgangspunkt i teorierne Staging Negotiation Spaces og Arena of Development analyseres, hvordan bæredygtighedsstrategier bliver gjort operationelle i denne særlige organisatoriske ramme. Resultaterne viser, at bæredygtighed kun i begrænset omfang er integreret i de eksisterende projektstrukturer. Det spiller en svag rolle i de processer, hvor projekter prioriteres og gennemføres. Styringen af projekter følger primært de allerede etablerede værdilogikker i organisationen, og inden for disse rammer skal bæredygtighed oversættes, for at få reel betydning. Derudover viser studiet, at implementering i høj grad er afhængig af uformel koordinering mellem medarbejdere frem for tværgående samarbejde, faste strukturer og tydeligt definerede ansvarsområder. Som en del af arbejdet udvikles Sustainability Integration Framework (SIF), der skal hjælpe med at omsætte bæredygtighedsstrategier til praktisk handling, især i forhold til CPH-projektmodellen.
[This abstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]