44
quantitative growth. Several of their business goals like non-market production,
gaining common welfare, fostering social innovation and establishing public ownership are even harder to measure than classical economic indicators such as growth,
productivity and return on investment. Due to lack of measurements, the economic
value on a local level is hard to identify. Nevertheless, we want to list some examples and estimates showing the economic dimension of Environmental Citizenship.
The marketplace for green business solutions is estimated at more than 200 billion US dollars (Koester 2011). In Germany, 36,400 new companies in the area of
green economy were founded in 2015 and 2016, 40% of them with a business model
focusing on energy efficiency, 17% on circular economy and 17% on sustainable
food and agriculture (Borderstep Institute for Innovation and Sustainability 2018).
In Lithuania and Ireland, a broad number of interviewed companies indicated that
they are already a ‘green business’ and are striving to shift to ‘green business’
(Čekanavičius et al. 2014). Progressive steps in the framework of environmental
management systems like EMAs or ISO have been realised within more than 40,000
companies worldwide in the last four decades (Freimann et al. 2016).
Opportunities and Challenges Regarding Environmental Citizenship
Based on the above-mentioned four economic trends, we must note the different
economic opportunities and challenges regarding Environmental Citizenship on the
local level. Some of them we want to list briefly from a company and citizen point
of view.
Eco-control, as a part of EMA on operational level, indirectly influences economic performance in the context of (1) higher environmental exposure, (2) higher
public visibility, (3) higher environmental concern and (4) larger size. EMA could
be ‘a tool fostering transparency and accountability’ (Henri and Journeault 2010).
Citizens have several opportunities “to adjust” to the concept of Environmental
Citizenship. Individual attitudes and values that make a change of the own consumer behaviour are crucial. The ‘moralization of the markets’ with the judgement
of the consumers is rising (Stehr 2008). One of the positive effects of proenvironmental behaviour is the possibility of saving money by using energy in an
efficient way (e.g. heating, electricity). Cutting down on unnecessary packaging
material in the supermarket and reducing individual daily consumption by focusing
on basic needs also have positive effects. Barry (2006) criticised firms and public
bodies for adopting the language of Environmental Citizenship as motivated either
by compliance with corporate environmental reporting or as evidence of a commitment to the concept of corporate social responsibility. Here, encouraging corporate
employees to be Environmental Citizens is simply an integral part of either internal
systems or conformity with EMSs, and such in-house Environmental Citizenship
programmes will be focused on reducing costs and ensuring that the company is
compliant with environmental regulations and standards. Barry describes such
Environmental Citizenship as a part-time occupation – something one engages in
during working hours. He calls for fostering a wider environmental awareness on
the macro level political and economic dynamics of environmental problems and
solutions or to connect the environmental behaviour of individuals at work with
what they do outside of it (Barry 2006).
V. Kaputa et al.
quantitative growth. Several of their business goals like non-market production,
gaining common welfare, fostering social innovation and establishing public ownership are even harder to measure than classical economic indicators such as growth,
productivity and return on investment. Due to lack of measurements, the economic
value on a local level is hard to identify. Nevertheless, we want to list some examples and estimates showing the economic dimension of Environmental Citizenship.
The marketplace for green business solutions is estimated at more than 200 billion US dollars (Koester 2011). In Germany, 36,400 new companies in the area of
green economy were founded in 2015 and 2016, 40% of them with a business model
focusing on energy efficiency, 17% on circular economy and 17% on sustainable
food and agriculture (Borderstep Institute for Innovation and Sustainability 2018).
In Lithuania and Ireland, a broad number of interviewed companies indicated that
they are already a ‘green business’ and are striving to shift to ‘green business’
(Čekanavičius et al. 2014). Progressive steps in the framework of environmental
management systems like EMAs or ISO have been realised within more than 40,000
companies worldwide in the last four decades (Freimann et al. 2016).
Opportunities and Challenges Regarding Environmental Citizenship
Based on the above-mentioned four economic trends, we must note the different
economic opportunities and challenges regarding Environmental Citizenship on the
local level. Some of them we want to list briefly from a company and citizen point
of view.
Eco-control, as a part of EMA on operational level, indirectly influences economic performance in the context of (1) higher environmental exposure, (2) higher
public visibility, (3) higher environmental concern and (4) larger size. EMA could
be ‘a tool fostering transparency and accountability’ (Henri and Journeault 2010).
Citizens have several opportunities “to adjust” to the concept of Environmental
Citizenship. Individual attitudes and values that make a change of the own consumer behaviour are crucial. The ‘moralization of the markets’ with the judgement
of the consumers is rising (Stehr 2008). One of the positive effects of proenvironmental behaviour is the possibility of saving money by using energy in an
efficient way (e.g. heating, electricity). Cutting down on unnecessary packaging
material in the supermarket and reducing individual daily consumption by focusing
on basic needs also have positive effects. Barry (2006) criticised firms and public
bodies for adopting the language of Environmental Citizenship as motivated either
by compliance with corporate environmental reporting or as evidence of a commitment to the concept of corporate social responsibility. Here, encouraging corporate
employees to be Environmental Citizens is simply an integral part of either internal
systems or conformity with EMSs, and such in-house Environmental Citizenship
programmes will be focused on reducing costs and ensuring that the company is
compliant with environmental regulations and standards. Barry describes such
Environmental Citizenship as a part-time occupation – something one engages in
during working hours. He calls for fostering a wider environmental awareness on
the macro level political and economic dynamics of environmental problems and
solutions or to connect the environmental behaviour of individuals at work with
what they do outside of it (Barry 2006).
V. Kaputa et al.