Adapting the Stakeholder Value Creation Framework in the Context of Urban Trees and Forests: How do corporate actors create and capture value?

Abstract

This thesis examines how corporate actors create and capture value in the context of urban trees and forests, addressing the persistent gap in private sector investment in nature-based solutions (NBS) despite the well-documented environmental, social, and economic benefits. To explore the central research question of how corporate actors create and capture value in the context of urban trees and forests, the study adapts the Stakeholder Value Creation Framework by Freudenreich et al. (2020) and employs a qualitative methodology, combining a comparative case study of 32 urban tree projects with nine expert interviews. The analysis identifies three clusters of corporate actors: those that fully integrate urban trees into their core business models, those with partial strategic alignment, and those primarily motivated by corporate social responsibility (CSR). While each cluster engages differently, most corporate contributions center on funding and volunteering. The value captured varies depending on the type of actor and includes a wide range of benefits, such as social, reputational, and financial gains. The key contribution of this research is the introduction of a value exchange perspective tailored to corporate stakeholders in the specific NBS context of urban trees and forests. The findings offer practical implications for increasing corporate engagement and strengthening the co-governance of urban nature initiatives.