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.