Impact of the environmental management system standardization on the managerial image of firms: An empirical study.

We describe a characterization of the conceptual and emotional changes on environmental issues in a sample of firms certified under the ISO 14001 standard. Business communications regarding the main Spanish industrial firms have been downloaded from the ABI/INFORM database and processed using Vantage Point software, in order to study the evolution of the main concepts and emotions before and after the certification year. Our study concludes that in the years before certification environmental management was fundamentally tied to operative issues, broadly pivoting on the immediate impact of a firm's productive activities. Environmental management gains strategic traction in the years after certification, positioning itself near corporate decision-making concepts and associated with adjectives that denote relevance and positivity. The sentiment analysis points at an increased positivity of environment-related issues, accompanied by a general decrease in negative emotions and an increased presence of expectation and planning emotions.

Decision-making Process in the Systemic Strategy for Environmental Protection

The article attempts to demonstrate the role of decision-making process in actions for sustainable development implemented as part of environmental protection, which is viewed here in a systemic way. The article presents the definition of a system and its surroundings (environment), and points out that environmental protection can be described in this systemic perspective both in general and specific terms. This makes it possible to indicate the scheme and structure of decision-making process. The article examines the possibility of applying Mazur’s control system for designing a scheme of actions that would be adequate for environmental protection, with emphasis placed on the optimisation stage. The author shows that the system developed by Mazur can be used in the PDCA methodology, which is based on the Deming cycle and included in the ISO 14001 standard. As a result, the potential of the systemic approach to environmental protection is shown and it is explained how to move from this approach to a broader strategy for environmental protection and ultimately, to the implementation of sustainable development goals.

Analysis of the affinity of the principles of corporate governance to the ISO 14001 environmental management system standard

The purpose of this research is to analyze the adherence of the NBR ISO 14001 standard to the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance Code of Best Corporate Governance Practices. The perspective established in the research interprets the existence of synergy between management supported by the Environmental Management Systems standard and the Code of Best Corporate Governance Practices. The research analyzed the contents of 177 environmental audit reports, performed by a certification company, which involved a set of 139 companies certified by NBR ISO 14001. It then related the requirements of the environmental management system with the elements present in the IBGC code. It identified the adherence to several requirements in common between the two systems analyzed, thus indicating the adequacy of establishing synergy in actions, and in the information held by both, providing benefits to the organization. Environmental auditing data indicate that companies have more difficult-to-handle items related to operational control, emergency preparedness and assessment of compliance with legal and other requirements. This is important information in the context of corporate governance, since it indicates potential risks that must be eliminated in order to guarantee the perenniality of the organization.

Impact of Implementing ISO 14001 Standard Requirements for Sustainable Supply Chain Management in the Textile Industry

The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of the implementation of the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard on creating sustainable supply chains in the textile industry. The research process was conducted in 2018. It was preceded by an extensive literature review of sustainable development and quality management as well as the supply chain. The research tool was a questionnaire sent to top management representatives of organisations operating in south-eastern Poland and Slovakia who possess a certified system according to ISO 14001. However, analysis of the results does not allow to give clear answers to the research questions. Although the majority of respondents noted a positive impact of the implementation of ISO 14001 on improving environmental actions in the supply chain, its impact on the creation of sustainable supply chains is not so obvious. Based on our research, organisations will be able to more consciously decide on the implementation of the ISO 14001 standard requirements.

Waste material and/or energy recovery

Many far-seeing companies have taken part in the Agenda 21 work for sustainable development. Kährs group has several units being certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard and having achieved the EMAS registration. Waste sorting often is the adaptation of recycling that has been the most important one and that has given all collaborators the opportunity to contribute. The system of today for material recycling counteracts an efficient use of energy and a market price level of residues. The energy value is higher than the compensation of collected paper and plastic material.

Analysis of the Design and Implementation Phase of ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems in Manufacturing Enterprises

Increasing awareness and the number of activities for environmental protection has influenced the development of environmental management systems. Currently, there is a wide range of environmental management systems that can be implemented thus organizations can choose which system suits their activities best. Among small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises, the most popular is a system based on the ISO 14001 standard. Therefore, it seems advisable to promote the skillful implementation of this system. The study was devoted to this issue. It pointed out that the participation of an external consultant, the size of the enterprise as well as the nature of the activity in small and medium manufacturing enterprises has a small importance at the time of its implementation. To implement such a system skillfully, preparation work period for designing and implementing should last about 9 - 12 months.