The value of data for environmental sustainability as perceived by the customers of a tissue-paper supplier

Abstract

To manage their increasingly ambitious environmental agendas successfully, companies need better and more versatile data, yet the elements and mechanisms through which businesses and the environment benefit from data remain poorly understood. A single-case-study setting was designed for examining the perceived value of data for environmental sustainability as seen by the customers of a tissue-paper supplier. The findings, from material collected during interviews with customers in 2022, showcase the multifaceted nature of data's value for business operations and associated ability to support decisions and activities that encourage environment-informed choices and environmental improvements. Also, fully exploiting data's potential for environmental sustainability requires greater volume and detail of product-specific data, transparency of value chains and environmental impacts, and data's better management and sharing. The emerging insight related to the value of data strengthens understanding of how companies could, with data, support their customers' environmental performance.