Strategic impact insights
The last mile of green industrial transformation
Aligning commercial growth with strategic climate impact targets
Summary
Industrial companies are under mounting pressure to meet decarbonisation goals. From customer demands to regulatory requirements, the green transition has been reshaping how these businesses operate in some countries - already for several decades. Yet, for many to achieve a successful transformation, the critical gap lies not in strategy but in commercial execution. At Theia Hub, we have worked with diverse large industrial companies undergoing green transformation, and have been able to observe that aligning frontline commercial teams with the overarching sustainability goals is the key to unlocking growth while advancing the green transition within the complex business and market environments.
Strategy vs. commercial execution gap
While leadership teams commit to ambitious emissions targets, frontline commercial teams - sales, product management, marketing - often operate as if nothing or not a lot has changed. This disconnect undermines progress and leaves revenue opportunities untapped. Symptoms of this gap could look like this:
- Sales teams not trained to sell decarbonised alternatives
- Marketing materials fail to communicate sustainability benefits
- Pricing strategies don’t reflect the premium value of greener products
Green growth is commercial growth
Decarbonisation does not mean sacrificing profitability as there are numerous examples where it results in either or both top- and bottom-line improvement. Sustainability-aligned innovations often command price premiums, open new market segments, and deepen customer loyalty.
Case example: a specialty materials manufacturer developed a low-carbon alternative that costs 15% more to produce but now captures 30% more margin due to positioning it as a premium sustainable product.
To achieve commercial growth however, the industrial organization’s sales, marketing and product teams must be equipped to:
- Translate lowered emissions data into customer value propositions
- Price according to the environmental differentiation
- Prioritize sustainability-/decarbonization-linked solutions in sales conversations
The Green-Strategy-to-Sell™ framework
To enable and support the last mile of commercial execution, we have developed and introduced our Green-Strategy-to-Sell™ framework that helps industrial companies to materialize growth in sales and profit performance in their decarbonization solutions:
- Clarify green value proposition:
- Validate how your decarbonisation efforts create customer value.
- Include sustainability in product messaging and marketing channels.
2. Adapt frontline incentives:
- Align bonuses, KPIs and OKRs with green product sales.
- Track positive emissions impact alongside revenue.
3. Train for a decarbonization dialogue across commercial teams:
- Provide tools for marketers and sellers to discuss lifecycle emissions, certifications, and customer sustainability goals.
4. Align pricing and commercial offering:
- Support price premiums for decarbonised products and services.
- Offer bundled sustainable service models (e.g. take-back, recycling).
5. Monitor commercial execution and make necessary adjustments:
- Use a maturity map to track decarbonization-readiness across commercial teams.
- Adjust based on customer feedback and adoption rates.
Conclusion
Achieving decarbonisation targets in industrials requires more than engineering innovation. It demands a rewiring of the commercial engine. Industrial companies that succeed will both reach their sustainability targets and very likely be at the leading positions in market growth.
Get in touch with us to assess your commercial organisation's green readiness and design a last mile green industrial transformation roadmap tailored to your sustainability and business goals.
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