Browsing by Author "Pires, Catarina Isabel Maranga"
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- Drivers that lead companies to adopt environmentally sustainable measuresPublication . Pires, Catarina Isabel Maranga; Azevedo, Susana Maria Palavra GarridoUp until the Industrial Revolution, in the eighteenth century, human activity did not have a great impact on the environment. From that point on, however, the great growth of industrialization has taken its toll on the planet. Population has exponentially grown, since that period, and so have their needs; more products/goods are manufactured to meet and capitalize demands, agriculture became intensive with the energy consumption/production following the trend, causing an increase on the GHG emissions, a carefree use of natural resources and the overall destruction of the natural world. In second half of the twentieth century researchers warned the world that the economic model was harming the environment, temperatures were rising, resources were being used without any criteria and the ozone layer was disappearing. Now, in the 21st century, with decades of data in record, the scientific community is sure that, if an alternative for the current economic model is not adopted soon, the consequences will be catastrophic. Because the business role is well-established, changing its approach to the environment becomes a long-term process, not only because it requires a change on manufacturing processes, but also a big investment, nonetheless some companies are taking action and presenting results. Having the previous ideas into consideration, it is necessary to understand what moves and drives companies into adopting environmentally sustainable practices and supported in what type of principles and ideas. To address this purpose, a literature review was performed on several important concepts and the reports on sustainability of two big Portuguese companies were analysed. The results suggest that legislation compliance is the main driver or instrument, but the creation of new value and response to costumers demands on sustainability is also important.