Recoge: 1. Introduction and background - 2. Corporate environmental and resource management: state of the art - 3. Examples of environmental management practices - 4. Environmental management education and training initiatives: state of the art - 5. Examples of environmental management education and training initiatives - 6. Conclusions and future actions and activities.
The difficulties in moving towards corporate sustainability raise the question of how environmental and social management can be integrated better with economic business goals. Over the last decade, the relationship between environmental and economic performance, and more recently the interaction between sustainability performance and business competitiveness, have received considerable attention in both theory and practice. However, to date, only partial aspects of the relationship between sustainability performance, competitiveness and economic performance have been studied from a theoretical as well as an empirical perspective. And, to date, no unique relationship has prevailed in empirical studies. A number of explanations have been put forward to explain this, including methodological reasons, such as the lack of statistical data, the low quality of that data, or the fact that such data is often available for short time periods only. Other theoretical explanations have been developed, such as the influence of different corporate strategies or the relatively small influence of environmental or sustainability issues as one factor among many on the economic or financial success of firms. So, how should the business case for sustainability be managed? This is the starting point for this book, which compiles insights on a large number of aspects of the link between sustainability performance, business competitiveness and economic success in an attempt to provide a comprehensive and structured view of this relationship. The book provides an unrivalled body of knowledge on the state of theory and practice in this field and identifies prospective future fields of work. The book includes: conceptual frameworks for the interaction of social, environmental and economic issues in business environments; case studies of companies that have successfully integrated social, environmental and economic issues; analyses of the causal and empirical relationship between environmental and/or social performance, business performance and firm-level competitiveness; concepts and tools useful for improving business value with proactive operational strategies; assessment of the factors influencing operational sustainability strategies and their economic impact; and comparisons of interactions between sustainability performance and firm competitiveness across industry sectors and countries. Managing the Business Case for Sustainability is the definitive work in its field: the most comprehensive book yet published on the theory and practice of managing sustainability performance, competitiveness, environmental, social and economic performance in an integrated way. It will be essential reading for managers, academics, consultants, fund managers, governments and government agencies, NGOs and international bodies who need a broad and comprehensive overview of the business case for sustainability.
This title was first published in 2003. Testing policies promoted by current environmental management literature, this book puts forward a new conceptual model to identify which organizational and supervisory support factors can positively influence employees to promote environmental initiatives in businesses. The model uses employee knowledge of and belief in management commitment, testing thirteen environmental policies that influence employee eco-initiatives and six sets of organizational behaviour and supervisory support factors. The book features a thorough review of relevant organizational behaviour and corporate environmental management literature, describing what motivates adoption of company policies of sustainable development, factors motivating employees to implement innovation, and learning organization-type managerial behaviours that encourage employee actions. A survey questionnaire using behaviourally-anchored rating scales enables employees to assess the behaviours of their direct supervisors without the usual biases that occur in other opinion-based surveys. The survey highlights counter-intuitive results related to information sharing and environmental policies and the author proposes recommendations for more effective future policies.
This major collection examines both the human resource dimensions of environmental management and how environmental management impacts on human resource departments. Contributions from international experts in both academia and business look at current theory and best practice in environmental TQM, education, training and communications. Greening People argues that, if a company is to adopt an environmentally-aware approach to its activities, the employees are the key to success or failure. Realistically, it is only through the energy, performance and personal commitment of each employee within an organization that business will move towards sustainable industrial development. This book provides an important angle on the new complexities faced by environmental managers and human resource professionals and offers practical solutions drawn from some of the leading lights in the corporate environmental revolution. Greening People is divided into four parts. Part 1 demonstrates the relationship between human resource management and environmental management. Part 2 provides insight into the psychological make-up of contemporary staff that may foster or hinder company-wide implementation of environmental measures, and Part 3 addresses the shortcomings of current management training programmes and suggests new approaches for effective implementation of environmental human resource management. Finally, a selection of excellent case studies demonstrates how the concepts are being implemented in companies and local authorities.
The second book in a series looking at management techniques which could be implemented by a business in order to improve its environmental performance, this text identifies the best practices and examines the key tools within the framework of corporate environmental management. Richard Welford and contributors explore the various organizational and cultural concepts which firmly place the corporate environmental management agenda within the human dimension.
The goal of Sustainable Human and Environmental Systems (SHES) education is to prepare students to facilitate social learning in communities that builds knowledge of, capacity for, and commitment to sustainability to facilitate the emergence of sustainable societies. The SHES approach to sustainability education relies on complexity-based systems thinking that transcends disciplinary boundaries. This book provides a comprehensive guide to the SHES approach, including its rationale and theoretical foundation, its pedagogy and practical applications in curricula, and ways to support the approach through institutional administration. This book will be of great interest to academics and students of education, environmental sciences and studies, sustainability and sustainable development, natural resource management, conservation, environmental policy, environmental planning, and related fields in higher education. Educators can use this book as a guide to SHES pedagogy, curriculum design, sustainability, environmental studies, sustainable development, and sustainable well-being. Administrators will find the book useful in establishing, evaluating, staffing, and promoting programs based on the SHES approach.
This volume presents a comprehensive analysis of the role of business in safeguarding the environment. It introduces general issues and context, and then gives a detailed, critical examination of all the key tools of corporate environmental management systems and standards: environmental policies, guidelines and charters, environmental auditing, life-cycle assessment, the measurement of environmental performance, and environmental reporting. The book emphasizes systems-based environmental management, and also considers how such an approach might be integrated within local authorities and small and medium-sized companies. It then extends the systems approach to cover continuous environmental improvement, building a corporate environmental profile and moving towards sustainability. Written in a clear and informative style with checklists, explanatory notes and references for further reading, the book draws on the existing environmental strategies of a number of leading firms. Each chapter is written by contributors involved in ongoing research and consultancy in their specialist area. The book's focus makes it useful reading, not only for students and researchers, but also for managers faced with the challenge of introducing environmental management strategies into their own organizations.
The book presents latest developments in the field of high-speed railway, Hyperloop transportation technologies and Maglev system. In recent years, railway transport has received a powerful impetus in its development. With the advent of the 4th Industrial revolution, the transport sector is moving towards full digitalization. TransSiberia is a platform where both the rail industry and the communications industry can meet and converge. The book contains papers prepared by experts from both sectors. This is primarily research in the field of the ICT technologies, which will be used for the future railway system. The results of studies on the design of intelligent autonomous transport systems and the operation of high-speed railways in the harsh weather conditions of Siberia are presented in detail. The book presents the state of the art in smart grid technology for railway power systems. This will contribute to decarbonization of the railway. The presented technical innovations in railway science and engineering will help scientists and engineers create a new generation of trains running on alternative fuels and capable of functioning without interruptions in any climatic conditions.
Emerging Contaminants in the Environment: Challenges and Sustainable Practices covers all aspects of emerging contaminants in the environment, from basic understanding to different types of emerging contaminants and how these threaten organisms, their environmental fate studies, detection methods, and sustainable practices of dealing with contaminants. Emerging contaminant remediation is a pressing need due to the ever-increasing pollution in the environment, and it has gained a lot of scientific and public attention due to its high effectiveness and sustainability. The discussions in the book on the bioremediation of these contaminants are covered from the perspective of proven technologies and practices through case studies and real-world data. One of the main benefits of this book is that it summarizes future challenges and sustainable solutions. It can, therefore, become an effective guide to the elimination (through sustainable practices) of emerging contaminants. At the back of these explorations on sustainable bioremediation of emerging contaminants lies the set of 17 goals articulated by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all its member states. This book provides academics, researchers, students, and practitioners interested in the detection and elimination of emerging contaminants from the environment, with the latest advances by leading experts in emerging contaminants the field of environmental sciences. - Covers most aspects of the most predominant emerging contaminants in the environment, including in soil, air, and water - Describes the occurrence of these contaminants, the problems they cause, and the sustainable practices to deal with the contaminants - Includes data from case studies to provide real-world examples of sustainable practices and emerging contaminant remediation
Corporate Environmental Management 3 examines the complex yet crucial issues faced when we make a genuine commitment to move towards sustainable development. It tackles the nature of the international economic order and the efficacy of free trade and globalization in response to the growing recognition that businesses and organizations must now effect real change to ensure a sustainable future. It analyses strategies for managers, researchers, academics and students to achieve operations consistent with this goal and provides accounts of best practice, offering substantial references to leading articles in the field. With welcome clarity of thought and expression, analysis is made of the structural, as well as cultural, adaptations demanded of businesses in changing socioeconomic circumstances. Can an ethic be derived from the concept of sustainable development to be applied to the practice of business? Will the globalization of economic activity have a detrimental and decisive effect on the ability of business to bring about the vital progress needed? What are the implications of postmodern social theory, with its emphasis on the uncertainty of value and commitment, for corporations attempting to effect change? This third book in the comprehensive and authoritative Corporate Environmental Management series provides an ideal introduction to the main practical and theoretical issues for those new to the subject, whilst those familiar with the series will find it a thoughtful and incisive development of the debate. Richard Welford is Professor of Corporate Environmental Management at the University of Huddersfield, professor of Sustainable Management at the Norwegian School of Management and a Director of ERP Environment. Originally published in 2000
