Environmental Sustainability Concept - Literature review Example

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Environmental Sustainability Introduction Environmental sustainability is an important topic since it entails decision making as well as taking action that concerns securing the environment, with certain stress on preserving the environmental ability to support life. Undoubtedly, environmental sustainability is a crucial topic right now, given that people have realised the complete effect that individuals and businesses may have on the environment. According to Marquart-Pyatt (2010, 65), environmental sustainability is based on deciding responsibly so as to reduce the negative impact of businesses on the environment. Basically, environmental sustainability cannot be realised just through reduction of waste produced or making use of less energy, but is based on creating processes that will result in businesses turning out to be totally sustainable sooner or later. Importantly, environmental sustainability compels businesses to look further than just achieving temporary profits and see the lasting effects they are directing on the environment (McMeekin and Rothman (2012, 328). Therefore, business must not only take into account the instant impact their actions have on the nature, but also the lasting implications. The literature on practices concerning environmental sustainability has been increasing, and a number of studies are present analysing the effects of environmental projects on organisational performance and the impact of business activities to the environment. Still, in spite of the positive result anticipated from such practices, scores of research have disclosed ambiguous and mixed findings, resulting in differing views on the accurate effects of products and business activities on the environment. Review of the current status of the research on the topic A number of writings and works have been performed on sustainable growth as well as environmental sustainability over the last years. Owing to the progressively more competitive milieu of the modern economy, and similarity with regard to offering in scores of market, Medeiros, Ribeiro and Cortimiglia (2014, 76) argue that innovation can be able to support differentiation as well as produce sustainable organizational competitive advantage. Still, save for developing economically and strategically feasible innovation, Medeiros, Ribeiro and Cortimiglia (2014, 78) posits that innovation these days is comprehended as a underlying need that must be carried out in a manner that environmental and social issues are as well considered. This certain facet as per Cintra, Carvalho and Perlingeiro (2008) confirms the sustainability approach of triple bottom line, which is a concept wherein the results of an organization have to be measured against the interconnected economic, environmental, as well as social dimensions. Therefore, as mentioned by Medeiros, Ribeiro and Cortimiglia (2014, 77), the search for performance levels that are environmentally sustainable is pertinent not just to ecologists as well as environmentalists, but as well to economic, political, social, and managerial practitioners and scientists. Therefore, the market, society and government are steering forces towards the rise in environmental awareness to both companies and consumers, as written by Gold, Seuring and Beske (2010, 232) and Matos and Hall (2007, 1089). This, as per Sharfman, Shaft and Jr. (2009, 2) is why management of organization have to recognize not just prescriptive paradigms and planned strategies, but as well descriptive models and emergent strategies that contemplate organizational growth through practices that have low ecological impact. Bearing in mind that numerous businesses are facing growth limits due to environmental issues, environmental sustainability as mentioned by Handfield, Sroufe and Walton (2005, 6) and Zhu, et al. (2008, 324) merits even greater significance. To overcome this burning issue, Matos and Hall (2007, 1087) posits that integration of organizational and technological innovation adjusted towards enhancing the quality of life and taking into account both present and future needs of the environment is needed. Therefore, even though increase in consumption may be measured as an environmental risk, when examined by means of ecoefficiency model, which considers the fall of using natural resource, it may produce prospects for diffusing sustainable innovation (Berchicci and Bodewes 2005, 273)). Therefore, evidenced by Ras and Vermeulen (2009, 331) there exist vital academic research contributions concerning green innovation products development as well as suggestion of reference paradigms by Berchicci and Bodewes (2005, 272) that can aggregate and identify sustainable innovation competences. Still, there exists sufficient room for research in this field. While contrasting the driving factors for successful production of products that are environmentally sustainable, Medeiros, Ribeiro and Cortimiglia (2014, 80) found scores of associations, and a number of differences. The key differences are: (a) besides knowledge about competitors and customers, in innovation of environmentally sustainable product, it is imperative to understand the environmental laws and regulation together with policies relating to information and financial incentives directed to environmental sustainability; (b) concerning the research and development investments factor, the espousal of suitable techniques for developing products that are environmentally sustainable, and research in pollution-free technologies, are vital factors for success in innovation; and (c) the innovation-based knowledge is an aspect explicit for the accomplishment of environmentally sustainable products. Medeiros, Ribeiro and Cortimiglia (2014, 80) findings are backed in Berchicci and Bodewes (2005) study, who indicate that environmental sustainability practices need one to learn learning about processes relating to the synergy of theoretical models and tacit knowledge. Whereas it may be argued that theories on management can include a reflection of environmental matters, a more essential point is made by Barter and Bebbington (2010, 8), given that they are questioning organisational purpose. They argue that if an organisation is as well involved in deals with the setting that make use of the environmental services and resources, in that case the organisation will be lessening the accessibility of such environmental resources for every the other element within the Earth. Certainly, the Earth centrality to every activity of human as mentioned by Poole (2008, 193) is conceivably most obvious in the planet pictures from space. In such, pictures according to Poole (2008, 193) the Earth looks like blue- green sandstone hanging in a black void, and even though such pictures could at the moment be part of the life wallpaper they hugely impacted the public consciousness when they were initially published. Such pictures, as per Poole (2008) helped in creation of the environmental events and movement. In essence, the pictures support the verity that the Earth is a materially closed system and energy open, and so the significance of operating or leaving in a system that is materially closed involve the understanding that people are part of it and cannot be separated from it. Whereas organisations may be seen as being enemies of environmental sustainability leading to poor environmental health of the earth, Barter and Bebbington (2010, 8) posit that they are as well vital in any action that could be pursued to restore the environmental health of the earth, but not due to the riches they have at their disposal. In a few words, Barter and Bebbington (2010, 9) asserts that organisations make use of the energy, material and labour (to produce services and products so as to achieve their profits and revenues. Generally, such organisations will always espouse a rationale that possesses particular forms of outcome and hold the view that they have to achieve incessant growth in addition to profit maximisation, and this rationale generates an anxiety with the actuality of a predetermined planet. The growth of the economy if coupled with material impact growth makes it harder to achieve environmental sustainability in the longer term. Likewise, maximisation of profit needs corporations to externalise scores of their costs, with such costs being stomached by the environment (based on a change in its ability or its degradation) instead of the entity itself (Ekins 2002, 34). Even though the chase for profit maximisation and growth can be suitable and apparently sensible thinking for any organisation, Barter and Bebbington (2010, 10) posit that the sum of this entity consistency is an unwarranted externalisation of outlay as well as the maximum utilization of limited resources. Ekins (2002, 35) further notes that this form of operating and thinking could have been suitable when environmental resources were more unreservedly accessible as well as when the number of people in the world was low; however, this is no more the case. Scores of scholars such as Barter and Bebbington (2010, 9) and Hussen (2012, 404) have argued that organisations must stop function as if they are in a ‘cowboy financial system’, but rather they should understand that they are operating in a ‘spaceman financial system’ with limits. To sum up, Ekins (2002, 34) posited that people have put their collectively built as well as malleable certainties concerning the financial system and the chase for profit prior to the environmental physical laws that are less malleable. Therefore, to move towards environmental sustainability, as well as where the economic rules acknowledge environmental limits, remains to be a subject of discussion in broad collection of literature. For instance, guidance and ideas including the search of eco-efficiency; assigning fiscal value to environmental services ; extending timescales for planning to generational timeframes; imitating environment’s production processes (through, for instance, industrial ecology and bio-mimicry); increasing the concern scope of the corporation to its supply chain as well as products disposal as mentioned by Barter and Bebbington (2010); modifying the companies’ scorecards as well as measuring them through Cintra, Carvalho and Perlingeiro (2008) approach, that is triple bottom line. Additionally, in studies such as Handfield, Sroufe and Walton (2005) and McMeekin and Rothman (2012), ideas have been taken into account concerning how the financial system can shift to a state where development is not pursued in addition to where the financial system gets a stable condition. Knowledge Gaps Amongst the existing knowledge gaps is the lack of a authenticated set of success factors steering performance of the market concerning products that are environmentally sustainable, as evidenced in Medeiros, Ribeiro and Cortimiglia (2014) and Handfield, Sroufe and Walton (2005) study. Arguably, the techniques for measuring market performance of conventional products can be insufficient in capturing the products’ success dynamics developed through an approach that is environmentally sustainable, specifically, environmentally sustainable or eco-friendly products. Environmentally sustainable products are products that can bring about long-term benefits, decrease consumer-related stress as well as improve environmental responsibility of the customer while maintaining sustainability as well as its valuable qualities, writes Berchicci and Bodewes (2005). Besides that, approach to environmental security is not sufficient in the literature due to failures in policy, particularly in controlling the dynamics of the environmental system. Assuring permanent environmental security needs organizations to integrating multifaceted organizational goals that improve organizational performance as well as the ecosystem services delivery. This will undoubtedly need development practices integrating and building on the production systems, the knowledge systems and value chains that are necessary for sustainable business operation. There is gap in explaining how environmental sustainability complexity can be achieved through integrated organizational management that focuses on agricultural products. Therefore, intensification of environmental sustainability building on productivity, certainly, is viewed as an essential pathway for handling the dual purpose for organizational success as well as avoiding practices that negatively impact environment. Scores of gaps exist in literature concerning environment sustainable practices in developing countries, considering that the existing models for environment sustainability favor mostly developed countries that have increased their production through low input technology. Therefore, there is need to advance policy actions through appropriate institutions, adapted technologies, local capacities, fairness, and good governance. Policies for environmental sustainability must take into account the consumers with regard to their eating habits and buying patterns, mainly based on the increasing urban populations, so as to make certain their activities are environmentally sustainable. There is little research on the issue of fairness and helpless social groups, considering that there is need for comprehending whether decision-making of such groups can have effects on the operation of companies and environmental sustainability. For that reason, organizations need frameworks or mechanisms which involve vulnerable social groups in decision making so as to improve environmental sustainability. There is little knowledge of consumers as well as value-chain actors, particularly concentrating on promoting the community participation, together with diverse markets for activities that are environmental sustainability. Practically, both men and women must actively be involves, but, still, women participation is limited by lack of resources and cultural norms. Besides, no organization can succeed if it concentrates only on profits and revenues, since their activities that affect environment may ultimately cost them heavily. Therefore, promoting environmental sustainability should go further than their organizational objectives, and must focus on management of integrated resource by steering clear of policies that are parallel and not completely integrated. One key feature is aligning organizational goals and environmental activities in sustainability. The need for market information systems to support valuation of products as well as deliver wide-ranging, systematic information on other markets’ aspects, together with doing business with international and regional markets is a key factor for success in resourceful interventions by means of collective action. Therefore, in order to optimize the environmentally sustainable products benefits needs integrated knowledge sharing, decision making as well as experience in company with improved advocacy and incentives capacities: this has not been mentioned in majority of the reviewed studies. There are just a few studies such as Marquart-Pyatt (2010) that has explained how environmentally sustainable products can deal with issues of climate change and consequently support sustainable development goals, considering that organizational practices and goals can create a useful, resourceful and fair path to success of environmentally sustainable goals. Most studies have discussed the need for striving towards a balance between economic growth as well as environmental sustainability. As argued by McMeekin and Rothman (2012, 327), sustainable growth and environment may just be realized through policies’ integration that connects the society, the economy and the environment. However, only a few studies such as Medeiros, Ribeiro and Cortimiglia (2014) and Gold, Seuring and Beske (2010) highlighted briefly the strategic initiatives espoused by a number of industrialised countries that may be adopted by other countries so as to realize the balance between environmental growth as well as sustainability through the policies integration connecting the economy, society, and environment. Given that the majority the reviewed research comes from in Asia, Europe and North America, there is need for carrying out more studies, particularly in developing countries in Africa and South America. An additional venue for further research concerning environmental sustainability would be examining and authenticating the set of critical success factors through empirical research as recognized in this systematic literature review. More studies should be carried out to find the way forward for scores of countries desiring for sustainable growth. For now, companies can start industrial activities that use the efficient use of environmental resources by means of efficient technology, so as to lessen the effects of social environmental degradation. Furthermore, for corporation s lacking the need technologies, they have to carry out their activities appropriately so as to promote future innovations. Environmental sustainability has been a topic of heated debate recently, particularly amongst developed countries looking for ways to reduce global warming and climate change. Therefore, studies must start focusing on the role business play in developing strategies for mitigating climate change, and the business role in supporting sustainable practices. Bibliography Barter, Nick, and Jan Bebbington. 2010. Pursuing Environmental Sustainability. Research Report, London: University of St. Andrews. Berchicci, L., and W. Bodewes. "Bridging environmental issues with new product development." 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Principles of Environmental Economics and Sustainability: An Integrated Economic and Ecological Approach. New York: Ahmed Hussen. Marquart-Pyatt, Sandra T. "Environmental Sustainability. 2010. International Journal of Sociology 40(2): 65 - 84. Matos, S., and J. Hall. 2007. Integrating sustainable development in the supply chain: the case of life cycle assessment in oil and gas and agricultural biotechnology. Journal of Operations Management 25(6): 1083–1102. McMeekin, Andrew, and Harry Rothman. 2012. Innovation, consumption and environmental sustainability." Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 24(4): 327 - 330. Medeiros, Janine Fleith de, Jose Luis Duarte Ribeiro, and Marcelo Nogueira Cortimiglia. 2014. Success factors for environmentally sustainable product innovation: a systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production 65(15): 76–86. Poole, Robert. 2008. Earthrise: How Man first saw the Earth. London: Yale University Press. Ras, P.J., and W.J.V. Vermeulen. 2009. Sustainable production and the performance of South African entrepreneurs in a global supply chain: the case of South African table grape producers." Sustainable Development 17(5): 325–340. Sharfman, M.P., T.M. Shaft, and R.P. Anex Jr. 2009. The road to cooperative supply chain environmental management: trust and uncertainty among pro-active firms. Business Strategy and the Environment 18(1): 1–13. Zhu, Q., J. Sarkis, K. Lai, and Y. Geng. 2008. The role of organizational size in the adoption of green supply chain management practices in China." Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 16 (6): 322–337. Read More