Environmental Management

A special issue of Administrative Sciences (ISSN 2076-3387).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2014) | Viewed by 47824

Special Issue Editor

Institute of Management, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Interests: enterprise environmental management; performance evaluation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental management can be defined as the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment. Environmental management aims to ensure that ecosystem services are protected and maintained for future human generations, and to maintain ecosystem integrity through considering ethical, economic, and scientific variables.

In recent years, within the framework of this definition of “environmental management,” academics, technicians, and policy makers have contributed toward the enlargement of the perspectives, and of the fields, that are connected with “environmental management”.

First, we discuss what is known as “Corporate Environmental Management.” Studies included in this area aim to investigate the effects of the adoption of environmental management practices in companies. For example, several studies have discussed the effects of these practices on organizational and process innovations, while other studies have further developed this relationship by observing the subsequent effects of these innovations on firms’ competitiveness. Other authors have assessed the effectiveness of environmental management practices at the firm level; they describe and compare the environmental performances that are achievable through adopting various environmental management tools.

Second, a broad number of academics study environmental management as a theme to be applied at the territorial level. We can list in this area contributions related to the environmental management issues of industrial clusters, Eco-industrial parks, urban areas, etc.

A third perspective involving environmental management is linked to the effects of environmental policies on environmental management at the company level.

The variety of perspectives makes environmental management one of the most challenging fields for academics, and for anyone interested in sustainable development.

In the framework described above, this special issue invites authors to contribute, with quantitative and qualitative papers, in the following fields:

  • Environmental management at the firm level, environmental management systems (EMAS, ISO14001), environmental auditing, environmental performance, environmental innovations, environmental management and competitiveness, environmental management and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);
  • Environmental management in public organizations, environmental management systems in public structures,  innovative experiences of Green Public Procurement (GPP);
  • Sustainability of products, Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), Organization Environmental Footprint (OEF), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA);
  • Sustainable management of territorial areas, cluster approach, environmental management of urban areas, smart cities, supply chain management;
  • Integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) policy, assessment of IPPC Directive, Best Available Techniques (BAT), Industrial Emissions Directive (IED);
  • Industrial ecology, Eco-industrial development, management practices in Eco-industrial Parks.

Dr. Tiberio Daddi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • sustainability management
  • environmental policies
  • environmental regulation and competitiveness
  • industrial ecology
  • industrial clusters

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

321 KiB  
Article
Eco-Industrial Parks and Sustainable Spatial Planning: A Possible Contradiction?
by Elisa Conticelli and Simona Tondelli
Adm. Sci. 2014, 4(3), 331-349; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci4030331 - 26 Aug 2014
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 7926
Abstract
The definition and the subsequent development of eco-industrial parks (EIPs) have been deeply based on the application of industrial ecology theory, which pays specific attention to metabolic exchanges within industrial processes to address a deep reduction of limited resource consumption and a minimization [...] Read more.
The definition and the subsequent development of eco-industrial parks (EIPs) have been deeply based on the application of industrial ecology theory, which pays specific attention to metabolic exchanges within industrial processes to address a deep reduction of limited resource consumption and a minimization of waste production in the framework of a sustainable development approach. Despite the EIPs configurations being essentially based on the overall idea of sustainability, the problem of defining their proper location inside the territory and the consequent land use model, to minimize land consumption, have not always been central in the wide range of studies and practices concerning the EIPs. Nevertheless, the specific problem of a drastic reduction of land consumption at the EIP planning stage acquires a crucial role and, therefore, needs to be carefully assessed inside the perspective of sustainable urban development. In this framework, the paper firstly aims at facing the nontrivial relationship between the EIPs’ theorizations and implementations and the reduction of land consumption by referencing specific studies and shared tools, where new developments have been favored despite the conversion and redevelopment of existing industrial parks; secondly, it focus on an Italian case study and its emblematic EIP planning processes, in order to deepen the contradictions between sustainable spatial planning and eco-industrial parks. Finally, some final conclusions will be presented, in order to integrate some main issues concerning the reduction of land consumption inside the more traditional EIP design processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Management)
1988 KiB  
Article
Eco-innovative Practices for Sustainable Consumption and Production: What are the Possible Benefits for Companies?
by Maria Rosa De Giacomo, Arianna Dominici Loprieno, Mario Tarantini, Rovena Preka, Maria Litido, Anne Dominique Furphy, Víctor Vázquez Calvo, Pere Llorach-Massana, Carles M. Gasol, Joan Rieradevall, Ramon Farreny and Xavier Gabarrell
Adm. Sci. 2014, 4(3), 242-275; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci4030242 - 30 Jul 2014
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 11559
Abstract
The paper aims to present some eco-innovative practices regarding Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). The study also focuses on potential benefits for the actors who implement these practices, mainly with reference to companies. After a literature review on the actual importance of SCP [...] Read more.
The paper aims to present some eco-innovative practices regarding Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). The study also focuses on potential benefits for the actors who implement these practices, mainly with reference to companies. After a literature review on the actual importance of SCP and on the effects of eco-innovation tools and policies on companies, authors present the developed eco-innovation practices in three focus areas related to sustainable consumption and production. The aim of the study is to contribute to literature studies on SCP with the development of eco-innovative practices resulting by the integration of existing tools, by pointing out and valorizing their potentials and synergies. These practices have been pointing out in the framework of the international European project. Three focus areas are involved by the practices: sustainability of products and services, sustainability of production processes and sustainable management of industrial areas. Authors developed four eco innovative practices resulting from the integration of 15 existing tools. These practices offer many opportunities to many actors, mainly companies and public authorities, in order to achieve environmental and competitive benefits and implement eco-innovation principles with a cooperative and shared approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Management)
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375 KiB  
Article
How do Companies Invest in Corporate Social Responsibility? An Ordonomic Contribution for Empirical CSR Research
by Matthias Georg Will and Stefan Hielscher
Adm. Sci. 2014, 4(3), 219-241; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci4030219 - 21 Jul 2014
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 9584
Abstract
This paper takes both a conceptual and an empirical approach to answer the question as to how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can be connected to the company’s role as an agent of social value creation when it operates within an imperfect institutional framework [...] Read more.
This paper takes both a conceptual and an empirical approach to answer the question as to how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can be connected to the company’s role as an agent of social value creation when it operates within an imperfect institutional framework of market competition. To develop a functional design for an empirical study, we draw on the concept of ordonomics, which provides a heuristics for responsible business activities in society. Drawing on ordonomics, we devise three questions: Referring to action responsibility we ask in which CSR activities companies do invest in their day-to-day business. Referring to governance responsibility we ask as to how companies realize win-win solutions through strategic commitments. In addition, with regard to discourse responsibility we ask in which stakeholder dialogues companies engage in order to discuss and find functional rules for organizing win-win solutions. In our empirical study, we reveal insights into the micro-level analysis of the CSP-CFP link and generate several new questions to be the subject of future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Management)
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376 KiB  
Article
Value and Wastes in Manufacturing. An Overview and a New Perspective Based on Eco-Efficiency
by Alberto Simboli, Raffaella Taddeo and Anna Morgante
Adm. Sci. 2014, 4(3), 173-191; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci4030173 - 04 Jul 2014
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 10707
Abstract
In the last century, the evolution of manufacturing was characterized by several innovations, concerning technologies, processes, but also entire production systems, with radical changes in strategies, product design, and management of organizations. Cost, time, and quality are the pillars on which was based [...] Read more.
In the last century, the evolution of manufacturing was characterized by several innovations, concerning technologies, processes, but also entire production systems, with radical changes in strategies, product design, and management of organizations. Cost, time, and quality are the pillars on which was based the industrial competitiveness during that era. In the most recent years, a renewed interest in environmental issues and socio-ethical values has gradually promoted the transition towards the so-called low impact economies. Producers are then required to pursue a more rational and eco-efficient use of resources and reduce production wastes to survive; also the concept of value chain has been often associated with the terms environmental/green or sustainable. Various studies have been carried out to encourage companies in including the environment in their strategic and operational decisions making. Industrial Ecology (IE) represents the latest and most ambitious attempt to reach this goal; however, a great deal of work remains to be done to achieve this goal. As a result, enhancing companies to integrate efficiency and sustainable practices still has a long way to go. This study presents an overview on the evolutionary dynamics of manufacturing in the industrial age, and offers a discussion about the potential synergies in integrating IE approaches and tools in Lean Manufacturing, by introducing the environmental load as a further type of Muda; the systematic actions to reduce this waste can build up the basis for improving competitiveness through the eco-efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Management)
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595 KiB  
Article
Have You Switched to a Low-Carbon Diet? The Ultimate Value of Low-Carbon Consumerism
by Yu-Ling Lin and Hong-Wen Lin
Adm. Sci. 2014, 4(2), 105-119; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci4020105 - 17 Apr 2014
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7485
Abstract
Since the 1990s many governments around the world have been encouraging their people to participate in green or low carbon living. With the background of rising consumer awareness in environmental protection, green consumption, and green marketing are receiving growing attention from consumers and [...] Read more.
Since the 1990s many governments around the world have been encouraging their people to participate in green or low carbon living. With the background of rising consumer awareness in environmental protection, green consumption, and green marketing are receiving growing attention from consumers and enterprises. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify the goals and values of 60 Taiwanese consumers in a low-carbon diet. This study uses the theory of Mean-end chain as basis, applying the “Soft-laddering” of “Laddering” to understand the perceived value of low carbon food in depth interviews. The results revealed that the attributes of users care for green living in the, order of, Less meat more vegetables, Seasonal food, Local food, Food with minimal artificial processing, Energy-saving preparation and Carbon footprint. After classifying by content analysis, we draw the Hierarchical value map (HVM) to explore that consumer’s pursuit of the final value and benefits by adopting a low-carbon diet relate to healthy living. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Management)
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