Going Green - Why and How Thule Should Make Environmental Issues a Part of Their Business

Abstract: Problem: When opening a newspaper today there is a good chance that the headlines have something to do with recent developments in the global climate debate. This development is forcing companies to take action. The problem for many companies, including Thule, is that they are unaware of the environmental work conducted throughout their value chain and also what they need to do to become green. Thule, a company with a strong focus on profitability and growth, will not make environmental issues a part of their core strategy unless it can be shown that economic incentives exist. With this thesis we will try to build a case that will help Thule, and also other companies, see the possibilities a green venture brings with it.Purpose: Thule is one of many companies that is realizing that the environmental debate might have a real effect on business. The purpose of this thesis is therefore to show Thule, a company striving to become more environmentally sound, why they should make environmental issues a part of their business. Furthermore the aim is to review Thule’s processes from an environmental perspective and also to give them guidelines on how to take their environmental work to the next level. By doing this we hope to show that environmental challenges can be treated as opportunities and not just risks.Method: A qualitative method has mainly been used when writing this thesis. The theories and environmental tools have been collected through literature studies while the empirical data regarding Thule has been retrieved through extensive interviews with key personnel at Thule. A quantitative method was used to provide examples of how Thule's processes and products affect the environment. Conclusions: Even though it cannot for certain be said that the environmental debate will have a real effect on Thule in the near future, we believe that the incentives to go green are strong enough to motivate integrating environmental values into Thule’s core strategy. The potential to reduce costs, increase market share and reduce financial and business risk are worth the peril investing in a greener business implies. By studying Thule it is evident that environmental issues have not been an area of focus as of yet. By increasing the level of competence, integrating environmental issues into Thule's core strategy and increasing focus on environmental ambitions we believe that Thule will be able to take their handling of environmental issues to the next level. Only then can they regard environmental challenges as opportunities and take full advantage of the possibilities going green presents.