The globally dominant form of business organisation, the Investor-Owned Firm or the Corporation, has been challenged in both academic settings and the wide world for falling short on ensuring environmental and social justice and sustainability. Alternative business models like co-operatives, with a rich though somewhat less known history and presence around the world, might prove a better fit for a thriving world and a sustainable future. This study investigates ways in which worker co-operatives can contribute to a more sustainable world, using the theoretical lens of Doughnut Economics (DE) to place enterprises, as a supporting pillar of our economies, at the intersection between meeting social needs and operating within planetary boundaries. A descriptive multiple case study of six worker co-operatives in the UK indicates that this model can contribute to sustainability primarily by embodying a core purpose of fulfilling the needs of workers and their communities, rather than aiming for financial gains. The research suggests worker co-operatives are enterprises with highly generative design traits, distributive of the wealth they generate, and to some degree regenerative by design. Where challenges occur, either internally or wider in their industry or the co-operative movement, the co-operatives appear willing and interested to work on improving themselves by learning from their peers, experimenting and welcoming change. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on sustainability in worker co-operatives, employing DE as a holistic framework which so far has been seldom used in business research.

Mode-och textilbranschen är en resursintensiv bransch som står för en stor del av de globala utsläppen. Den har uppmärksammats av EU som en särskilt betydande bransch som måste genomgå förändringar för att bidra till en hållbar utveckling. Stora företag i mode-och textilbranschen i EU behöver de närmaste åren göra en omställning till cirkulära affärsmodeller för att möta kraven som angetts i EU:s cirkulära mål. Trots detta finns det få studier som undersöker hur långt dessa företag kommit i denna omställning. Sverige och Danmark har antagit mer ambitiösa krav på företags hållbarhetsrapportering än EU-direktivet NFRD anger. I denna studie utförs en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av hållbarhetsrapporter från sex mode-och textilföretag på den svenska och danska marknaden. Syftet är att beskriva och analysera hur långt dessa företag kommit i hållbarhetsarbetet och jämföra om det finns skillnader i hur företagen på de olika marknaderna presterar. Resultatet av studiens empiriska analys visar att det finns en homogenitet i hur långt fallföretagen kommit i hållbarhetsarbetet med undantag för ett fallföretag på den danska marknaden. Bortsett från detta undantag har alla företagen satt upp mål för sina koldioxidutsläpp i linje med 1,5-gradersmålet. Cirkulära affärsmodeller pilot-testas i dessa företag. Alla studiens företag placeras i nivån av hållbarhet business-as-usual utifrån den information de presenterat i sina hållbarhetsrapporter. Det kan konstateras att alla företag utom ett uppfyller flera subkriterier både i business sustainability 1, 2 och 3. Fallföretagen och de koncerner-och moderbolag de tillhör har investeringsstilar och ESG-betyg som stärker det empiriska resultat som framkommit. / The fashion and textile industry is a resource-intensive industry that accounts for a large part of global emissions. It has been recognized by the EU as a particularly significant industry that must undergo changes in order to contribute to a sustainable development. In the coming years, large companies in the fashion and textile industry in the EU need to make a transition to circular business models to meet the requirements stated in the EU's circular goals. Despite this, there are few studies that examine how far these companies have come in this transition. Sweden and Denmark have adopted more ambitious requirements for corporate sustainability reporting than the EU directive NFRD specifies. In this study, a qualitative content analysis of sustainability reports from six fashion and textile companies in the Swedish and Danish markets is carried out. The purpose is to describe and analyze how far these companies have come towards becoming sustainable businesses and compare whether there are differences in how the companies in the various markets perform. The result of the study's empirical analysis shows that there is a homogeneity in how far the case companies have come towards becoming sustainable businesses, except for one case company in the Danish market. Apart from this exception, all the companies have set targets for their carbon dioxide emissions in line with the 1.5-degree target. Circular business models are tested in the companies. All the companies in the study are placed in the level of sustainability business-as-usual based on the information they presented in their sustainability reports. It can be stated that all but one company meets several sub-criteria both in business sustainability 1, 2 and 3. The case companies and the groups and parent companies they belong to have investment styles and ESG ratings that strengthen the empirical results that emerged.

The agri-food industry is an important economic and social engine in many countries, not only because of its economic importance, but also because of its vital significance. For years, it has been possible to consider that this sector evolution has conducted to the development of centralized and global distribution networks. These global distribution networks, in a market of low value-for-weight products, are more efficient the more centralized their logistics be. This new paradigm has a collateral effect which is the difficult survival of the small producer-sellers with the problems that this entails for citizens as society members. This thesis is part of a project conducted by the Universitat Politècnica de València professors named as HOF3M (Heterarchical Open Food 3-sustainable Market). The project aims to facilitate the development of a triple bottom-line food product market, generating the technological and business bases to reduce entry barriers, so that anyone, anywhere in the world can become an agent that approaches any producer to any consumer. The aim of this thesis is to "provide a methodology for identifying and analysing business models through case studies, with the objective of creating a triple bottom-line, replicable and non-scalable business model bank in the agri-food industry". The application of this methodology provides a tool that facilitates the replicability of business models in the agri-food business context. In addition, it allows to identify those triply sustainable and non-scalable models that can be implemented by consumers, producers and intermediaries. The research work is carried out from literature reviews to understand the business models scope, triple bottom-line business and the context of the agri-food economy, as well as the application of the case study research methodology, for which the proposal is validated. This thesis gives three fundamental contributions: a methodology to identify and analyse a business model through study cases, a triple bottom-line assessment model within the agri-food economy framework, and three food retailing business model analysis. / El sector agroalimentario supone un importante motor económico y social en muchos países, no solo por su relevancia económica, sino también por su significado vital. Desde hace años se puede considerar que la evolución del sector ha derivado en el desarrollo de redes de distribución centralizadas y globales. Estas redes de distribución globales, en un mercado de productos de bajo ratio valor/peso, son más eficientes cuanto más centralizada esté su logística. Este nuevo paradigma tiene como efecto colateral la difícil pervivencia del pequeño productor-vendedor con los problemas que esto supone para el ciudadano en cuanto a miembro de la sociedad. Esta tesis se enmarca en un proyecto de profesores de la Universitat Politècnica de València denominado HOF3M (Heterarchical Open Food 3-sustainable Market). El proyecto tiene el objetivo de facilitar el desarrollo de un mercado triplemente sostenible de productos alimentarios, generando las bases tecnológicas y de negocio que reduzcan las barreras de entrada para que, cualquiera, en cualquier lugar del planeta pueda convertirse en un agente que acerque cualquier productor a cualquier consumidor. El objetivo de esta tesis se concreta en "proporcionar una metodología para la identificación y el análisis de modelos de negocio, a través del estudio de casos prácticos en empresas, con el objeto de confeccionar un banco de modelos de negocio triplemente sostenibles, replicables y no escalables en el sector agroalimentario". La aplicación de esta metodología proporciona una herramienta que facilita la replicabilidad de modelos de negocio en el tejido empresarial agroalimentario. Además, permite identificar aquellos modelos triplemente sostenibles y no escalables, que pueden ser implementados por consumidores, productores e intermediarios. El trabajo de investigación se realiza desde las revisiones de literatura para el entendimiento del ámbito de los modelos de negocio, de la triple sostenibilidad empresarial y del contexto de la economía agroalimentaria, además de la aplicación de la metodología de investigación a tres casos de estudio, con los cuales se valida la propuesta. De esta tesis se extraen tres aportaciones fundamentales: una metodología para identificar y analizar un modelo de negocio a través de casos de estudio, un modelo de evaluación de la triple sostenibilidad en el marco de la economía agroalimentaria, y tres análisis de modelos de negocio de venta al por menor de alimentos. / El sector agroalimentari suposa un important motor econòmic i social en molts països, no només per la seva rellevància econòmica, sinó també pel seu significat vital. Des de fa anys es pot considerar que l'evolució del sector ha derivat en el desenrotllament de xarxes de distribució centralitzades i globals. Estes xarxes de distribució globals, en un mercat de productes de baix ràtio valor/pes, són mes eficients quant mes centralitzada estiga la seua logística. Este nou paradigma té com a efecte col·lateral la difícil pervivència del xicotet productor-venedor amb els problemes que açò suposa per al ciutadà quant a membre de la societat. Esta tesi s'emmarca en un projecte de professors de la Universitat Politècnica de València denominat HOF3M (Heterarchical Open Food 3-sustainable Market). El projecte té l'objectiu de facilitar el desenrotllament d'un mercat triplement sostenible de productes alimentaris, generant les bases tecnològiques i de negoci que reduïsquen les barreres d'entrada perquè, qualsevol, en qualsevol lloc del planeta puga convertir-se en un agent que acoste qualsevol productor a qualsevol consumidor. L'objectiu d'esta tesi es concreta en "proporcionar una metodologia per a la identificació i l'anàlisi de models de negoci, a través de l'estudi de casos pràctics en empreses, amb l'objecte de confeccionar un banc de models de negoci triplement sostenibles, replicables i no escalables en el sector agroalimentari". L'aplicació d'esta metodologia proporciona una ferramenta que facilita la replicabilidad de models de negoci en el teixit empresarial agroalimentari. A més, permet identificar aquells models triplement sostenibles i no escalables, que poden ser implementats per consumidors, productor i intermediaris. El treball d'investigació es realitza des de les revisions de literatura per a l'enteniment de l'àmbit dels models de negoci, de la triple sostenibilitat empresarial i del context de l'economia agroalimentària, a més de l'aplicació de la metodologia d'investigació a tres casos d'estudi, amb els quals es valida la proposta. D'esta tesi s'extrauen tres aportacions fonamentals: una metodologia per a identificar i analitzar un model de negoci a través de casos d'estudi, un model d'avaluació de la triple sostenibilitat en el marc de l'economia agroalimentària, i tres anàlisis de models de negoci de venda al detall d'aliments. / Galeano Revert, AM. (2017). PROPUESTA DE METODOLOGIA PARA LA IDENTIFICACION Y EL ANALISIS DE MODELOS DE NEGOCIO TRIPLEMENTE SOSTENIBLES EN EL SECTOR AGROALIMENTARIO [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/88395 / TESIS

Bakgrund: Med målet att minimera avfall och miljöpåverkan har allt fler företag börjat arbeta med cirkulära affärsmodeller som är en rörelse bort från en linjär resursförbrukning. Ett linjärt konsumtionsmönster, där produkter kastas när de inte längre är önskvärda, innebär enorma hållbarhetsförluster längs med värdekedjan. Cirkulär ekonomi (CE) bygger på att redan från start implementera ett cirkulärt syfte i produkter och planera för en längre livscykel för en längre livscykel. CE är fortfarande ett nischat område och branschers relation till affärsmodellen är ännu inte undersökt. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att bidra med en djupare förståelse för de barriärer som olika branscher ser med återtillverkning och återvinning inom CE. Uppsatsen syftar till att öka förståelsen för cirkulära affärsmodeller samt den roll som bransch har avseende barriärer. Metod: Studien bygger på ett kvalitativt tvärsnittsurval och ett explorativt tillvägagångssätt har tillämpats. Studien är byggd på en iterativ ansats med målet att nyansera och komplettera befintlig forskning. För att fånga en objektiv beskrivning av det undersökta området utgår studiens vetenskapliga perspektiv från ett kritiskt realistiskt synsätt. Empirin är baserad på semi-strukturerade intervjuer som har analyserats genom tematisk analys. Slutsats: Studien har funnit tecken på att de barriärer som företag upplever vid cirkulära affärsmodeller skiljer sig åt mellan branscher. Material, livslängd, kvalitet, storlek och utseende är alla exempel på aspekter som har en påverkan och som skiljer sig åt mellan olika branscher. Studien fann tecken på att tillgång till material kan agera både som fördel och nackdel vid en cirkulär affärsmodell. Produkters slutkund har även en påverkan, där vissa kundgrupper kommer lägga större vikt vid estetiska aspekter och har även möjlighet att påverka kvaliteten på produkterna som återvänder till företag. Studien fann tecken på att vissa branscher kan ha svårt att konkurrera på pris men att detta inte behöver ha en negativ effekt på konkurrenskraft. Nuvarande lagstiftning påverkar företagen olika hårt, där vissa branscher ser institutionella barriärer som ett stort problem. / Background: With the goal of minimizing waste and environmental impact, more companies have started working with circular business models. A linear pattern of consumption, where products are discarded when no longer wanted, creates major environmental strains on supply chains. Circular economy is based on a circular purpose in products and planning for longer lifecycles. However, CE is still a niche area and the way that different industries manage circular business models are yet to be researched.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create a deeper understanding of the barriers different industries face when applying circular business models. The study aims to improve the understanding of circular business models and the role that industry plays in existence of these barriers.  Method: The paper is a cross-sectional study with an explorative approach. The study is built on an iterative base with the aim of creating nuance and contributing to current research. The aim has been to acquire an objective description of the studied subject via a critical realistic point of view. The empirical data has been gathered through semi-structured interviews which has been analyzed using thematic analysis.  Conclusion: The study found signs that the barriers faced by companies using circular business models as well as the intensity of those barriers varies across industries. Material, length of product life, quality, size, and appearance are aspects that has an effect, and which varies across industries. The study found signs that access to material could act as both an advantage and disadvantage when working in a circular business model. End customers of products can also influence circular business models. Certain customers will place more emphasis on aesthetic aspects and may affect the quality of materials returning to companies. The study also found signs that certain industries may face difficulties competing on price, although this might not affect overall competitiveness. The current legislative environment affects companies to varying degrees and certain industries view institutional barriers as a major issue impacting their business.

As new food networks are emerging the question about their possibilities to contribute in changing the current unsustainable global food system arises. This case study explores a project of an alternative business model within the coffee sector and its possibility to shorten the food chain and at the same time re distribute margins among the involved actors, for a more democratic and sustainable food chain. We examined in what way the studied business model challenge and/or reproduce the current global food system, focusing on the coffee producer and the economic, social and ecologic sustainability. The study emphasizes several risk factors that are of importance to the outcome of the project. Our findings show that it is possible for alternative food networks to influence on a microlevel, but to change the system on a macro level requires a higher level of governance and cooperation between sectors. The study also points out the importance of control management and documentation as a key activity to make sure that the right actions are performed to stay true to the mission. / I takt med att nya livsmedelsnätverk utvecklas växer frågorna kring vilka möjligheter de har att bidra till förändring av dagens globala och till synes ohållbara livsmedelsystem. Denna fallstudie utforskar ett projekt tillhörande en alternativ affärsmodell inom kaffesektorn, dess möjligheter att korta ned livsmedelskedjan och samtidigt omfördela marginalerna mellan de ingående aktörerna, för att uppnå en mer hållbar och demokratisk kedja. Vi undersökte på vilka sätt projektet och den studerade affärsmodellen utmanar och/eller reproducerar det rådande livsmedelsystemet med fokus på kaffeproducentens ekonomiska, sociala och ekologiska hållbarhet. Studien lägger betoning på ett antal riskfaktorer som är av vikt för ett lyckat utfall av projektet. Våra resultat visar att det finns möjlighet för alternativa modeller att påverka systemet på mikronivå, men att större systemförändringar kräver en högre nivå av styrning och samarbete mellan nivåer och sektorer. Studien pekar också på vikten av dokumentation, kontroll och uppföljning som nyckelaktiviteter i projektet för att kunna säkerställa dess validitet.

Kraven på företag har ökat gällande redovisning av hållbara aktiviteter. I och med detta ställs högre krav på dagens hållbara företagande, vilket bidrar till att företag kan komma att behöva finna nya strategier för att kartlägga sitt företagande.  Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) är ett nytt EU-direktiv som kommer att föra hållbarhetsrapportering till samma nivå som den finansiella rapporteringen, vilket kommer innebära stort arbete för berörda företag. Därför ämnar denna studie att utveckla ett verktyg som kan inspirera och hjälpa företag att förbereda sig för rapportering enligt CSRD. Detta genomförs genom att sammanföra teorier kring hållbara affärsmodeller och dubbel väsentlighetsprincip i en modell, där den centrala delen handlar om att beakta värde från ett flerdimensionellt perspektiv. Tidigare forskning ger upphov till det faktum att affärsmodeller ignorerar att värdeutbyte ofta är ömsesidigt och att en intressent både kan bidra till och mottaga någonting av värde, vilket i sin tur visar på att dubbel väsentlighetsanalys sällan är inkluderat i affärsmodeller. Följande studie ämnar fylla detta identifierade gap genom att utveckla ett verktyg som kombinerar dessa områden. Workshops och intervjuer genomförs för att utveckla modellen vidare, och diskussionen väver samman insikterna från den empiriska studien och det litterära ramverket, varpå den slutliga modellen presenteras.  Resultatet indikerar att modellen behöver ingå i en längre arbetsprocess med både förberedande och avslutande avsnitt efter användande av modellen, och därför presenterar resultatet tre steg som rekommenderas vid användning av modellen. Resultatet landar också i att företag rekommenderas koppla hållbarhetsarbetet till sin kärnverksamhet, samt att vidga perspektivet utanför sina egna gränser och beakta flera intressenter, varvid diskussionen kring värdeskapande blir extra relevant. Modellen hjälper företag starta diskussionen kring sin påverkan, vilket hjälper dem hantera sina aktiviteter och processer och skapar en diskussion kring värdeskapande. Detta kan effektivisera verksamheten genom att öka den holistiska synen och transparensen på vad som behöver utvecklas. Studiens resultat har i stor utsträckning koppling till hållbarhet, ledarskap och organisation, men den visar också på en ingenjörsmässighet då målsättningen är att processer på företag ska kunna effektiviseras. / The demands on companies have increased regarding the reporting of sustainable activities. With this, higher demands are being placed on today's sustainable business, which contributes to the fact that companies may need to find new strategies to map their business. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a new EU directive that will bring sustainability reporting to the same level as financial reporting, which implies a lot of work for the companies concerned. Therefore, this study aims to develop a tool that can inspire and help companies prepare for CSRD reporting. This is conducted by combining theories around sustainable business models and the dual materiality principle into a model, where the core concerns value from a multidimensional perspective. Previous research gives rise to the fact that business models ignore that value exchange is often reciprocal and that a stakeholder can both contribute to and receive something of value, which in turn shows that dual materiality analysis is rarely included in business models. The following study aims to fill this identified gap by developing a tool that combines these areas. Workshops and interviews are conducted to develop the model further, and the discussion weaves together the insights from the empirical study and the literary framework, after which the final model is presented. The result indicates that the model needs to be part of a more complete process with both preparatory and final sections after using the model, and therefore the study presents three steps that are recommended when using the model. Furthermore, companies are recommended to link sustainability work to their core business, as well as adopting an ecosystem perspective involving relevant stakeholders. The model helps companies start the discussion about their impact, which facilitates the management of activities and processes and creates a discussion about value creation. This can streamline operations by increasing the holistic view and transparency of what needs to be developed. The study's results are largely connected to sustainability, leadership and organization, but it also shows an engineering approach as the goal is to make processes at companies more efficient.

Sweden has an ambitious goal that the country will be carbon neutral by 2045, where this includes all sectors, including transportation and thus aviation. The aviation sector is an important part of the transportationsystem where the development of society has become dependent on this transportationalternative. In 2017, the aviation accounted for six percentof Sweden’s carbon dioxide emissions, one percentfrom domestic flightsand five percentfrom international flights. In order toreduce these emissions, active work is ongoing for a transition where domestic aviation will be fossil-free in 2030 and all departures from Sweden to the international market will be fossil-free in 2045. Aviation has historically had a strong connection to fossil fuels and environmentally friendly alternatives have not yet managed to compete in the market.This study has investigated how sustainability can be a central part of the business model and how these should be adapted as part of the work to a fossil-free business, as well as the role of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and policy instruments in the energy transition. By mapping important aspects for sustainable business models, market potential for SAFand the development of new policy instruments,this study contributes with a systems perspective on the Swedish aviation industry's energy transition. The delimitationofthe study has been the Swedish market with focus on actors with their operations in Sweden. The methodologyhas consisted of a literature study, an interview study with 11 actors in the Swedish market and a case study on the airline corporationBraathens Regional Airlines (BRA), which mainly operates domestic flights in Sweden with Bromma as their headquarters.The results showed that there are three areas that are important in the work with sustainable business models, three areas for the market potential for biofuels and four areas for policy instruments. In the development of sustainable business models, cooperation and co-financing are seen as central aspects for an effective transition with better risk distribution. Transparent sustainability work, climate calculations and biofueltickets are considered important tools to increase the customer's understanding of the company's transition towards a sustainable future. The public's lack of knowledge regarding the energy transition for aviation is considered an obstacle towards increased sales of biofuel tickets, which also creates flygskam and avoidance of aviation as a means of transportation. The biggest obstacle towards an increased share ofSAFon the Swedish marketis mainly considered to be the lack of Swedish production.Increased production would mean large investment costs and high risks, which means that co-financed projects are proposed to overcome this obstacle. Biomass as a raw material and how it is used and classified in the EU is also an obstacle towards increased use. Current policy instruments show that the reduction obligation is a positive addition, but the penalty fee needs to be raised above the price of SAF.The EU taxonomy can also play a decisiverole in the transitionprocess, as the classification of biomass and bioenergy can affect interest and willingness to make new investments.In addition, travel policies of companies are an obstacle when they prohibit travel by aviation.Finally, policy instruments are needed that favor Swedish production of SAF, where the industry sees great opportunities in both technology and raw materials, but lack of political initiatives.

In order to mitigate climate change, human activity needs to be decarbonised through a phase-out of fossil fuels, replaced by renewable energy sources. Here, sustainable business models can play an important role through connecting niche renewable technologies to the wider system and thereby allowing them to diffuse. Alternative business models towards the traditional centralised utility model have emerged, but remain poorly developed, and understood, especially their impact on transition dynamics over time. Therefore, this study combines business model research with the multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions, in order to investigate how emerging sustainable business models in Germany co-evolve with the country’s energy system over time. The three studied business models are tenant electricity, community microgrid and virtual power plant. To this end, the study applied a qualitative research approach, involving an interview, survey and document review in order assess with which transition pathways, based on the multi-level perspective, the three studied business models share most characteristics with. The results suggest that community microgrid currently follows a substitution pathway, in which old regime structures are replaced over time. The business model of tenant electricity is still stuck in its niche, but under adjusting regulatory structures expected to follow a transformative pathway with minor regime adjustments, while the basic regime architecture remains unchanged. Lastly, virtual power plants as a symbiotic business model shares most characteristics with a reconfiguration pathway, in which it triggers internal change and over time can result in major structural reconfigurations. These results underline that not only the type of employed technology plays a crucial role, but also how it is made available to society in form of business models. Further, the alignment with different transitional pathways provides a more nuanced perspective on how different business model types co-relate and impact transition dynamics and thereby provides a basis for future discussions around how a sustainable energy transition can be steered towards a more democratic and inclusive energy system.

Access to clean drinking water is a fundamental human right, yet many urban and peri-urban areas struggle to provide this service. While rural water access has improved, urban areas face stagnation or declining access to safe water services due to rapid urbanization, environmental changes, and social disparities. With urban populations in the global South expected to double and concerns about water quality from centralized systems in high-income countries, adaptable and resilient water service solutions are urgently needed. Decentralized systems are gaining attention for their adaptability, cost-effectiveness, and resilience, offering flexible alternatives to large treatment plants and aiming to provide safe, clean water at the household or community level. These systems improve local responsiveness, reduce inequalities, and enhance resilience by utilizing alternative water sources like rainwater harvesting. Innovative service delivery models are essential to bridge gaps, increase local responsiveness, and benefit vulnerable groups. Business model innovation is crucial for adopting and sustaining decentralized water technologies, especially in urban and developing contexts. Private companies are increasingly stepping in to provide decentralized drinking water services, often in partnership with government-led projects or community-managed initiatives, filling gaps where public institutions fall short. This thesis investigates private entities as viable alternatives for decentralized drinking water service provision, considering the complex landscape of urban water provision and the challenges centralized systems face. Using a mixed-methods approach, including a systematic literature review and interviews with eight organizations, the study explores how private companies operate and engage with communities to improve water services. Findings show that private companies use innovative business models, such as Social Enterprise and Product-Service System Models, to balance profitability with social and environmental responsibilities, though this raises concerns about the commodification of water. The thesis emphasizes the importance of subsidies, innovative financing, and government support to ensure affordable and accessible water services, especially in low-income and water-stressed regions. It stresses the need for supportive policy frameworks to promote decentralized services in different income-level countries. The adaptability of private companies to diverse customer bases and their ability to secure funding from various sources are crucial for the scalability and sustainability of their services. The thesis concludes that private companies play a vital role in bridging the service provision gap, but their success depends on innovation, stakeholder engagement, and supportive policies. It highlights the importance of balancing centralized and decentralized systems to ensure sustainable and resilient water services and uphold the human right to clean drinking water. The thesis contributes to the discourse on sustainable urban water management, underlining the potential of private companies to improve the accessibility and sustainability of drinking water services while emphasizing the need for ethical considerations in commodifying essential resources.

This study identifies enabling factors for a circular business model that focuses on use-oriented services in the fashion industry. The objective is to provide an overview of the possibilities of use-oriented services for sustainability and to determine motives for renting everyday clothes from a consumer perspective.The clothing industry is one of the most polluting and unsustainable business industries (Leal Filho et al., 2019). It starts to move towards the wider movement of circular economy and use-oriented service businesses, which some scholars see PSS as a sustainable business option due to its reduced environmental impact of economic activity (Baines et al., 2007). With the concept being tested on less quality-focused fashion retailers, the concept's real strength can be slowly analyzed. This study focuses on incentives and obstacles for conscious consumers to participate in a fashion renting program as well as the possibilities for sustainability from a consumer perspective. A multidisciplinary literature review was conducted to get insights into the topics of sustainable business models, circular businesses in particular, and product service systems, especially in the fashion industry. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect empirical data that were analyzed and related to the concept of social practice theory. The results show that renting everyday garments appears as a new concept that has not been considered yet. There is a general interest in renting special occasion clothes. Identified obstacles are the own lack of interest in fashion styles, no need for new clothes, quality, as well as logistic and transportation concerns.Sustainability was an overall important aspect for all respondents and, therefore, the concept of renting was mainly discussed in the sense of providing a sustainable purpose. Participants agreed that the business model could contribute to sustainability when the lifetime of garments is significantly extended. However, they questioned if renting can really decouple economic success from material consumption.