This study explores the links between climate change, consumer lifestyles, and legitimation strategies of sustainable firms. Our findings offer new insight into this under-researched area based on qualitative case studies of four Nordic firms operating in industrial and consumer contexts. We find that climate change consciousness is a major driver for all case firms’ sustainability-focused operations, but the dynamics differed. Achieving sociopolitical legitimacy emerges as an important factor for the case firms operating in the energy sector, especially as it connects to government incentives and regulative pressures. However, cognitive legitimacy is increasingly important for them also, and the firms are trying to connect to their consumers’ lifestyles as well. In turn, for the case firms operating in the consumer (clothing) industry, functionality and the use of products are highlighted even though cognitive legitimacy based on linking to their consumers’ lifestyle is visible. Finally, the findings reveal that despite the sustainable lifestyles are increasingly important and better recognized in firm strategies and practices, other practicalities of running the business successfully in a highly competitive marketplace are relevant. Building legitimacy in such a way that captures and justifies different approaches, therefore, emerges as the connecting factor between the changing consumer behavior and pro-environmental firm practices.

本研究探讨了气候变化、消费者生活方式和可持续企业合法化战略之间的联系。我们的研究结果基于对在工业和消费者环境中运营的四家北欧公司的定性案例研究，为这一研究不足的领域提供了新的见解。我们发现气候变化意识是所有案例公司以可持续性为重点的运营的主要驱动力，但动态不同。实现社会政治合法性成为能源行业案例公司的一个重要因素，特别是因为它与政府激励措施和监管压力有关。然而，认知合法性对他们来说也越来越重要，而且这些公司也在努力将其与消费者的生活方式联系起来。反过来，对于在消费品（服装）行业经营的案例公司，尽管基于与消费者生活方式的联系的认知合法性是可见的，但产品的功能和使用也得到了强调。最后，研究结果表明，尽管可持续生活方式在公司战略和实践中越来越重要并且得到了更好的认可，但在竞争激烈的市场中成功运营企业的其他实践也是相关的。因此，以捕捉和证明不同方法的方式建立合法性，成为不断变化的消费者行为与有利于环境的公司实践之间的连接因素。调查结果显示，尽管可持续生活方式在公司战略和实践中越来越重要并且得到了更好的认可，但在竞争激烈的市场中成功运营企业的其他实践也是相关的。因此，以捕捉和证明不同方法的方式建立合法性，成为不断变化的消费者行为与有利于环境的公司实践之间的连接因素。调查结果显示，尽管可持续生活方式在公司战略和实践中越来越重要并且得到了更好的认可，但在竞争激烈的市场中成功运营企业的其他实践也是相关的。因此，以捕捉和证明不同方法的方式建立合法性，成为不断变化的消费者行为与有利于环境的公司实践之间的连接因素。