The challenge of building net-zero business models
Many food, beverage, and tobacco companies — especially small and mid-sized ones — are struggling to make real progress toward net-zero goals. These industries account for a significant share of global emissions, but despite growing pressure from regulations and corporate sustainability commitments, there’s still a major gap between high-level ambitions and the practical, business-ready models companies need to shift their strategies.
One major roadblock? There just aren’t enough sector-specific frameworks that build sustainability right into day-to-day operations. The models that do exist often miss the detailed environmental work companies are already reporting through platforms like the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). There's a lot of valuable information in those disclosures, but without a clear way to break it down and use it for strategic planning, it’s tough for businesses to move the needle.
Using CDP disclosures to structure sustainable innovation
The research article “Paving the Way to Net-zero: Identifying Environmental Sustainability Factors for Business Model Innovation through Carbon Disclosure Project Data” by Muhammad Salman Asif, Henry Lau, Dilupa Nakandala, and Hilal Hurriyet set out to address this gap. The researchers reviewed open-ended environmental disclosures from 252 companies in the food, beverage, and tobacco sectors. The dataset was drawn from responses to the CDP’s surveys, including information on emissions, risks, business strategies, and value chain engagements.
Rather than rely on pre-existing theoretical categories, the researchers used the data itself to identify themes. The goal was to surface concrete practices already in use and see how they align with components of a business model.
How NVivo supported the research
To manage the extensive volume of qualitative data they collected, the research team turned to NVivo. The qualitative data analysis software (QDA software) supported a structured three-phase coding process. First, they used open coding to generate over 600 different codes representing different ideas based on the CDP responses. These codes were reviewed and refined to a more focused set of 150.
In the next phase — axial coding — NVivo helped the team organize related codes into broader themes. Finally, through selective coding, they mapped those themes — which they called Environmental Sustainability Factors (ESFs) — onto the building blocks of the business model canvas. That framework helped them break down and analyze various aspects of each business’ model.
NVivo also made it easier to keep coding consistent across multiple researchers, revisit earlier decisions, and adjust categories and trace relationships between practices and strategic goals.
Turning qualitative insights into structured models
The study’s innovation was in linking qualitative disclosures to eight components of the Business Model Canvas. These included customer relationships, channels, key activities, and revenue streams. For each block, the team identified relevant ESFs based on real company responses.
All ESFs were aligned with a shared value proposition: achieving net-zero emissions. These ESFs included sustainable value creation, key partnerships, and key resources, among other factors. Each of these ESFs by themselves are important in addressing emissions and contribute to a cumulative effect on sustainability.
A practical framework for industry transformation
The outcome of this process is a data-informed model that companies can use to guide business transformation. The model is designed to be flexible while providing specific guidance on successful and sustainable practices already in use across the sector. Companies can choose which practices to implement depending on their resources and level of readiness. For SMEs, this approach offers a way to begin with lower-cost strategies while working toward more complex initiatives over time.
Turning raw data into strategic insights
This study shows how qualitative research software like NVivo can support applied research with real-world impact. By enabling detailed thematic coding of open-ended responses, NVivo allowed the research team to transform raw disclosure data into a structured strategic tool.
It also demonstrates how researchers can move from data to design—from textual reporting to frameworks that can guide business action. The structured approach to coding ensured that findings were not just interpretive but replicable, with clear links to disclosed practices.
For researchers working with stakeholder data, industry responses, or policy documents, NVivo offers a way to go beyond content description and build frameworks that others can adopt. In this case, it helped bridge the gap between environmental reporting and business model design.
Enhance your qualitative data analysis with NVivo
Interested in applying NVivo to your own research? Request a demo to learn how NVivo supports structured, collaborative, and interpretive qualitative analysis.