Download full text
(external source)
Citation Suggestion
Please use the following Persistent Identifier (PID) to cite this document:
https://doi.org/10.3390/w9030151
Exports for your reference manager
Why European Entrepreneurs in the Water and Waste Management Sector Are Willing to Go beyond Environmental Legislation
[journal article]
Abstract Sustainability in the water sector in Europe is a major concern, and compliance with the current legislation alone does not seem to be enough to face major challenges like climate change or population growth and concentration. The greatest potential for improvement appears when companies decide to t... view more
Sustainability in the water sector in Europe is a major concern, and compliance with the current legislation alone does not seem to be enough to face major challenges like climate change or population growth and concentration. The greatest potential for improvement appears when companies decide to take a step forward and go beyond environmental legislation. This study focuses on the environmental responsibility (ER) of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the water and waste management sector and analyzes the drivers that lead these firms to the adoption of more sustainable practices. Our results show that up to 40% of European SMEs within this industry display environmental responsibility. Market pull has a low incidence in encouraging ER, while values and the strategic decisions of entrepreneurs seem decisive. Policy makers should prioritize subsidies over fiscal incentives because they show greater potential to promote the adoption of environmental responsibility among these firms.... view less
Keywords
water management; sustainability; Europe; legislation; legal provision; environmental law; small business; medium-sized firm; waste management; water; corporate social responibility; environmental management; Eurobarometer; environmental behavior; business management
Classification
Ecology, Environment
Management Science
Free Keywords
water sector; SMEs; environmental responsibility; drivers
Document language
English
Publication Year
2017
Page/Pages
p. 1-12
Journal
Water, 9 (2017) 3
ISSN
2073-4441
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed