Abstract
Climate change and environmental pollution are considered to be among the main challenges faced by the modern world. The growth of environmental awareness and the adoption of a pro-environmental approach are considered to be the key megatrends with the greatest impact on the global economy in the upcoming years. According to Eurobarometer, EU citizens are particularly aware of the importance of protecting the environment. Although the negative environmental impact of European industry has improved over the past decades, EU citizens believe that there is further scope in terms of helping companies transition towards adopting more sustainable models. One of the factors contributing to the reduction in negative environmental impact is the participation of enterprises in voluntary programs such as the Environmental Management System (EMS), according to ISO 14001, or the Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). The whole population of Polish companies registered under the EMAS was included in the study and although the sample size was small, it was a full study, and for that reason allows for the generalisation and conclusion regarding the whole population of EMAS-registered companies in Poland. The results of the study conducted on EMAS-registered organisations in Poland in 2015 suggest that the average effectiveness of the EMAS observed between 2007 and 2014 was 66.4%. The aim of this study was to review the changes in EMAS effectiveness and benefits obtained by participating organisations after five years. The results indicate that the average effectiveness during the period of 2015–2020 increased to 79.1%; nevertheless, registered organisations recognise fewer benefits for participation in the scheme. The study has shown that as EMAS matures in organisations, it becomes more effective. It influences a lot of factors, such as environmental awareness and management commitment, the use of SRDs (including BEMPs), environmental performance indicators for specific sectors, the criteria for the excellence of assessing the level of environmental performance, and the skilful use of indicators in organisations.
Highlights
Introduction iationsA total of 3838 organisations, including 65 organisations in Poland [1], are registered under the EU Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) (May 2021); in this context, Poland ranks 6th globally
The study focused on assessing the effectiveness of the EMAS based on the number of environmental objectives set by organisations and the number of achieved environmental objectives in each reporting year
It is difficult to unequivocally attest that as EMAS matures in organisations, it becomes more effective, because, in addition to internal factors, the effectiveness of the EMAS can be affected by many external factors, e.g., crisis situations, legislative requirements, or environmental conditions
Summary
A total of 3838 organisations, including 65 organisations in Poland [1], are registered under the EU Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) (May 2021); in this context, Poland ranks 6th globally. The trend of EMAS registration has been decreasing since its peak in 2010 (4615 organisations). The negative trend may be attributed to a lack of resources for environmental investment [2,3] and the short-term orientation of many organisations, considering that environmental investments generally have a long-term return [4]. Many organisations registered under the EMAS scheme do not renew their registrations, because, among other reasons, they do not achieve the expected benefits in relation to the expenditures and outlays, they have problems updating the environmental statement, they do not receive regulatory concessions such.
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