THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY AND BUSINESS: THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Abstract

This article addresses issues related to the concept of sustainable development of the economy, business, and society as a whole. Their relevance is determined by the fact that the natural potential, which includes a wide range of natural resources and conditions at all stages of the development of society, has played and continues to play a particularly important role. There are opposite trends in their interaction. For instance, there is a tendency to maximize the use of natural factors to meet the growing and diverse needs of society, of a person or an economic entity. The problematic nature of the economic development of raw materials, energy, land and water resources, the non-renewability of many of them necessitate the formation and application of strategies, mechanisms, and approaches that weaken the relationship between man and nature. Furthermore, modern innovative technologies increase the dependence of man, business (enterprises) on natural potential. Innovative development affects the increase in volume and expands the range of natural resources being used. At the “intersection” of these multidirectional trends in a rapidly changing world, there appear different problems, including the environmental ones. Their solution requires a qualitatively new level of interaction between society and nature. It is about rethinking the essence and principles of interaction between a person, his/her economic activity within the framework of economic entities (enterprises) and nature, while taking into consideration the concept of sustainable development. This concept implies the formation of appropriate strategies and mechanisms of activity (management) at all levels of society, including the level of enterprise, by balancing the following three components: environmental, economic, and social. They represent a unified model taking into account environment-friendly solutions. At the level of an economic entity, this means the creation of an environmental “green” enterprise through the development of environmental resource management. In the framework of this article, it is noted that the transition of a traditional company to the green zone, that is, its transformation on the principles of environmental safety, is associated with: the development and release of environmentally friendly products (services); the use of energy-, material- and labour-saving technologies; timely entry into environment protection work, gaining a competitive edge; ensuring the recoupment of environmental activities; optimization of waste disposal; gaining and strengthening the image of a green enterprise; compliance with the emission standards limiting the permissible amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere, water, and soil. A mandatory factor in the implementation of environmental strategies in the article is the process-based approach. Drawing from the process-based approach and the results of this research, it is recommended to create a structural unit with qualified managers and employees, whose competence includes knowledge and skills in resolving environmental problems by balancing all the components of the sustainable development model.