PhD
L. Melnyk, PhD I. Strutynska
Ternopil National
Technical university named after Ivan Puliuy
THE IMPORTANCE OF EU EXPERIENCE IN THE PROMOTION
OF ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS FOR UKRAINE
Environmental policy and natural resource
management at different levels: “enterprise-region-country-group of countries”
have been developed and actively implemented in practice in the EU in recent
years. EU experience in the promotion of environmentally responsible business
is important and relevant for Ukraine. This is due to the following reasons:
developed legal framework for environmental protection; existing institutional
structures that ensure implementation of the declared commitment and greening key
industries and social sphere; availability of literate people who can influence
the legislative and executive power and business in matters of environmentally
sustainable economic and social developments.
Analysis of the environmental policy and
environmental management in the EU over the past decade has shown that the most
important on a local and regional level is the state and effectiveness of
environmental management of business entities, which form the main
environmental load, using natural resources, invest in environmental protection
measures.However, most companies tend to lead a socially responsible business,
form their environmental image as one of the main advantages in the acute
competition for markets for their products and services realization.
Greening of
economic activity has become an integral part of most businesses structures,
but especially it is expressed on the example of large national and
multinational companies. Many of them started work in the field of ecology were
among the first not only in Europe but also in the world. The best example of
these companies are: “Philips” is of the leading companies in the production of
household, medical and lighting equipment; “Volkswagen”is the largest car
manufacturer in Europe; transnational company “Shell”which manufactures, sells
and transports crude oil and natural gas, producing and selling fuel for ships
and planes, produces electricity and develops devices for more efficientuse of
energy; Automobile Company “Skoda”. Nowadays every European company is
committed to develop and implement its environmental management system in order
to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
The analysis of
the experiences of other European companiesand transnational corporations to
tackle environmentalproblems associated with their
activities, as well as in the areas of their interests, allowingconcluded that
their contribution to improving the environmentin Europe at the moment it is
very essential and the struggle for its highenvironmental image brings tangible
environmental results [3].
Problems with establishment the Concept of
ecologically responsible business are mostly theoretical in Ukraine because
they’re seen at the macro level only, despite the National
Environment Strategy for the period till 2020 and the National Environment
Action Plan for 2011–2015 that have been approved by Parliament. Despite this,
the domestic enterprises and other entities haven’t implemented the
environmental management and environmental labeling yet. It means that domestic
enterprises are not ready to solve pressing environmental issues, because they
haven’t developed a good mechanism and tools for practical implementation of
environmental policy in recent years.
The features of Ukrainian development at the
present stage are characterized by a lag in addressing environmental issues,
the challenges in socially responsible business and poor integration of
environmental factors in the development of key economic sectors and social
sphere. There were some difficulties in environmental management at the local
level as well as across the regions and countries caused by the removal of
command-administrative methods and a gradual transition to conventional methods
in the world, and insufficient human resources that meet high current
requirements. That is why the study and implementation of European practices in
addressing environmental issues is especially important for Ukraine nowadays.
EU experience in designing and implementing
environmental policy is extremely useful for Ukraine. Since Ukraine has chosen
strategic course of European integration it allows using the methodology,
mechanisms and tools to address environmental issues in practice.
References:
1.
Melnyk L. “Tools of
environmentally oriented enterprise management”, Socio-economic problems and
the State, No. 2(9), Ternopil,
TNTU, (2013), pp. 178-187.
2.
Strutynska I. “Innovative
approaches to restore competitiveness of national producers market global
investment”, Transformation
processes of the economic system in contemporary challenges: monograph
According Society. Edited by Hrynchutskoho, Ternopil. Step, (2014). - 544 p.
3.
VaismanYa.I. (2011). Environmental policy and environmental management in the
countries of the European Economic Community and in Russia. Perm: Publishing
house of Perm. State. Techn. University, 487 p.
4. http://www.eco-officiency.com/benefits_becoming_sustainable_business.html