Environmental issues have become increasingly important in politics, and society tend to demand that companies adapt their products and work with environmental issues. This is particularly true for small businesses, which constitute a majority of companies and therefore have a significant impact on environmental problems. An instrument that companies can use to reduce their negative environmental impact is an environmental management system (hereafter abbreviated MLS in the study). The most established MLS are ISO standards such as ISO 14001 and EMAS, but these can be resource-intensive and complex to understand and implement, which can be a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises. To facilitate the implementation of an MLS for small and medium-sized enterprises, simplified MLS have been developed. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyze how simplified MLS can facilitate the implementation of an MLS for small businesses in a Swedish context. The research questions addressed are what organizational factors can hinder small businesses from implementing an MLS, and how simplified MLS can be a tool to address these factors. The results of the study indicate that one of the factors that can hinder small businesses from implementing an EMS (Environmental Management System) is resource constraints. Small businesses may have limited resources in terms of time, money, and personnel, which can make it difficult to carry out a comprehensive implementation of EMAS or ISO 14001. Simplified EMSs such as SUSA-miljöbas provide a solution to this problem by offering a more tailored and accessible method for small businesses to implement an environmental management system. These simplified EMSs are more streamlined and focus on the most critical aspects of environmental management, making it more affordable for small businesses to adopt and maintain. Another factor deterring small businesses from implementing an EMS is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the long-term benefits, such as reduced costs and active participation in the circular economy. Furthermore, the results of the study indicate that external pressures often play a crucial role for companies when it comes to the decision of adopting an EMS.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-62103 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Andersson, Ida, Bodhamre, Jonna |
| Publisher | Malmö universitet, Institutionen för Urbana Studier (US) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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