Environmental innovation: in search of a meaning
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20425961211247734 |
| Published date | 01 February 2012 |
| Date | 01 February 2012 |
| Pages | 113-121 |
| Author | Fernanda Dias Angelo,Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour,Simone Vasconcellos Galina |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management |
Environmental innovation: in
search of a meaning
Fernanda Dias Angelo
University of Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour
The Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Bauru, Brazil, and
Simone Vasconcellos Galina
University of Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a definition of the term “green/environmental
innovation”, based on a systematic literature review.
Design/methodology/approach – The literature review conducted in this research was based on
papers published in ISI Web of Science and Scopus databases.
Findings – Environmental innovations are organizational implementations and changes focusing on
the environment, with implications for companies’ products, manufacturing processes and marketing,
with different degrees of novelty. They can be merely incremental improvements that intensify
the performance of something that already exists, or radical ones that promote something
completely unprecedented, where the main objective is to reduce the company’s environmental
impacts. In addition, environmental innovation has a bilateral relationship with the level of proactive
environmental management adopted by companies. Increasing of environmental innovation tends to
come up against many barriers.
Originality/value – Many researchers use the term “environmental innovation” but only a few
articles present a complete definition of this concept.
Keywords Organizational culture, Governance, Ethos, Environmental management,
Green innovation, Eco-innovation, Literature review
Paper type Conce ptual paper
1. Introduction
Some global events led to the inclusion of the social-environmental issues in business.
The report, Our Common Future, promoted by the World Commission on Environment
and Development” (1987), and “ECO 92,” in Rio de Janeiro, 1992, were two important
world events that launched the environmental concerns as a priority in organizations
(Co
ˆte
´et al., 2006). Nowadays, environmental responsibility begins to be considered
a fundamental issue for organizational management innovation and success (Hillestad
et al., 2010).
According to Seiffert and Loch (2005), environmental management is a process
through which organizations define their environmental management expectations and
goals. Corazza (2003) underscores the importance of green planning and orientation at
companies in order to achieve environmental goals, reducing environmental impacts.
Wehrmeyer (1996) underscores the ample, coordinated and duly organized involvement
of business actions with the continuous objective of reducing the organization’s
environmental impacts.
Some studies identify different evolutionary stages of environmental management
at organizations (Hunt and Auster, 1990; Corazza, 2003; Donaire, 1999; Jabbour, 2010).
This study used the classification that divides them into: reactive (less evolved);
preventive (intermediate); pro-active (more evolved) ( Jabbour, 2010). Literature review
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5961.htm
World Journal of Entrepreneurship,
Management and Sustainable
Development
Vol. 8 No.2/3, 2012
pp. 113-121
rEmeraldGroup Publishing Limited
2042-5961
DOI 10.1108/20425961211247734
113
Environmental
innovation
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