Environmental Strategies for Sustainable Development: An Analysis of the Drivers of Proactive Environmental Strategies in the Manufacturing Sector

Abstract

Stakeholders’ concern towards the ecological damage arising out of emissions from the industrial processes has raised serious issues before the industrial sectors. Environmentalists and researchers are raising these issues in various forums. Few industrial sectors are well informed about environmental protection and act accordingly to address these issues by complying with environmental norms. However, some firms are more ethical in their business and proactively redefine their operations and policies beyond the regulatory requirements. What factors compel these firms to go beyond the extant laws to protect the environment? This study statistically analyses India’s cement sector for the factors that may be the drivers of environmental proactivity. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), eight hypotheses were tested. The study’s findings can be helpful for the policymakers, environmental managers, and industrial sectors to frame policies for environmental protection, which will redound to societal benefit.