Eco-management in Polish Companies

Ewa Bojar

Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Management, Ul. Nadbystrzycka 38, 20-618 Lublin (Poland)

Matylda Bojar

Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Management, Ul. Nadbystrzycka 38, 20-618 Lublin (Poland)

Anna Żelazna-Blicharz

Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Management, Ul. Nadbystrzycka 38, 20-618 Lublin (Poland)

Piotr Blicharz

Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Management, Ul. Nadbystrzycka 38, 20-618 Lublin (Poland)

Abstract

Economic activity has an enormous influence on the environment. Enterprises contribute to the progressing degradation of existing ecosystems, cause serious threats to the biological diversity of our planet, emit hazardous pollutants and use available natural resources excessively, which can lead to their premature exhaustion. Therefore, for the world’s nations to grow and develop in a sustainable manner, there is an urgent need to minimize the adverse impact of business activities, households and whole societies on the environment. Environmental degradation cannot be restrained by the neutralization of produced pollutants alone. Today, we need efficient environment-friendly technologies and production processes. Effective efforts aimed at the reduction of our ecological footprint should be undertaken by all involved entities, including designers, engineers and managers at all stages of the product design, production and distribution processes. The concept of corporate social responsibility, understood as a voluntary process of taking into account a wide array of social and ecological issues in all business activities as well as contacts with stakeholders, has become very popular in Poland. Development of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development has a huge impact on the shaping of pro-ecological attitudes in society. From this perspective corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be rightly regarded as a concept useful to ensure sustainable development at the micro-level, i.e. at the level of enterprises. CSR is a component of sustainable eco-management. It can ensure that the principles of sustainable development are effectively implemented at the level of socio-economic systems, as well as individual actors involved in change.

Lublin Voivodeship has a clean and attractive environment. This paper presents research findings of the study carried out in 2005-2010 by researchers from the Faculty of Management, Lublin University of Technology. The main purpose of the study was to analyze the environmental activities and initiatives undertaken by enterprises operating in the region, directions of pro-environmental investments, implemented environmental management systems, as well as motivations of business managers to pay more attention to environmental issues.

Keywords:

eco-management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainable development