Environmental management certification and environmental performance: Greening or greenwashing?

Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria; Olivier Boiral; Alberto Díaz de Junguitu

doi:10.1002/bse.2546

journal article Jul 07, 2020

Environmental management certification and environmental performance: Greening or greenwashing?

Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria

Olivier Boiral Alberto Díaz de Junguitu

Business Strategy and the Environment Vol. 29 No. 6 pp. 2829-2841 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/bse.2546

Abstract

AbstractThis article analyzes the contribution of certifiable environmental management standards—such as ISO 14001 and the Eco‐Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)—to corporate environmental performance. Based on a content analysis of 414 third‐party‐verified environmental statements from EMAS‐registered Spanish organizations, which included information for around 6,700 detailed indicators, a weak improvement in environmental performance was found. Less than half of the analyzed indicators—namely, 48.27%—revealed a net improvement. Similarly, analysis of the justifications of the registered companies for the lack of improvement points to a rather symbolical adoption of the certification, intended to do only the bare minimum. These findings call into question the prevailing opinion about the positive impact of voluntary certifiable environmental management standards on environmental greening. Implications for managers and public policy makers, as well as for other stakeholders, are discussed.

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Details

Published: Jul 07, 2020
Vol/Issue: 29(6)
Pages: 2829-2841
License: View

Authors

I

Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria

Faculty of Economics and Business University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain

O

Olivier Boiral

Faculté des sciences de l'administration Université Laval Québec QC Canada

A

Alberto Díaz de Junguitu

Faculty of Economics and Business University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU San Sebastian Spain

Cite This Article

Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria, Olivier Boiral, Alberto Díaz de Junguitu (2020). Environmental management certification and environmental performance: Greening or greenwashing?. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(6), 2829-2841. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2546

Environmental management certification and environmental performance: Greening or greenwashing?

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