Charting corporate greening: environmental management trends in Sweden

Abstract

In order to understand the long-term change processes, a longitudinal study of the Swedish construction industry is presented. This examines the long-term environmental attitudes and practices within this industry, particularly the trends and significant changes in corporate environmental management and performance. The results from three surveys undertaken in 2002, 2006 and 2010 indicate that environmental work is becoming institutionalized as a strategic part of the companies' business, environmental management activities and integrated within the companies' work practices. Also evident is a greater maturity and raised ambitions in companies' environmental actions. Legislative pressures have become a reduced driver; instead there is increased pressure from, and need for cooperation with, a larger variety of stakeholders and across disciplines. Environmental management systems have been widely adopted, meaning that practice relies on self-surveillance and voluntary actions. A consolidation of environmental management is observed within the companies, as well as an emerging business niche of environmental expert consultancy. The perceived effects on competitiveness and financial performance remain unclear, implying that there are other motivations for environmental change than financial and legal justifications.

Keywords::

• construction industry
• corporate environmental management
• environmental performance
• motivation
• organizational change
• stakeholders
• trends
• Sweden

Notes

1 NACE (Nomenclature statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté européenne) is the statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community. The first four digits of the code are the same in all European countries. The following NACE codes are included in the survey: NACE Groups 41.2, 42.1, 42.2, 43.1, 43.2, 43.3 and 43.9 representing building contractors/executing construction companies; NACE Groups 68.2 and 68.3 representing property owners and managers; NACE Class 71.11 representing companies within architecture; and NACE Class 71.12 representing building engineering and design consultants.

2 The use of Likert scales with varying number of scale-steps has a historical reason, stemming from how the first questionnaire in 2002 was developed and where it was judged that different some questions were better measured by scales with either fewer or more steps.

3 The difference was significant at p < 0.05 and measured on a five-point scale ranging from ‘considerable decrease’ to ‘considerable increase’.

4 The result was computed by means of a Chi²-test and was significant at p < 0.001.

5 The difference was significant at p < 0.05 and measured on a four-point scale ranging from 1 = ‘totally disagree’ to 4 = ‘totally agree’.

6 (a) I have authority to influence strategic decisions so that they meet environmental interests (mean 2006 = 2.9, mean 2010 = 3.06). (b) It is every individual's responsibility to improve the companies' environmental performance (mean 2006 = 3.33, mean 2010 = 3.25). (c) I have knowledge to influence strategic decisions so that they meet environmental interests (mean 2006 = 3.09, mean 2010 = 3.14). (d) I have the power to stop the operation/activity that can cause a negative environmental impact (mean 2006 = 2.92, mean 2010 = 3.07). (e) I have knowledge to influence practice so that it develops in line with environmental interests (mean 2006 = 3.03, mean 2010 = 2.94). (f) It is my personal responsibility to improve the environmental performance of the company (mean 2006 = 2.73, mean 2010 = 2.84).