Environmental awards and their relevance to the environmental commitment of organizations
ISSN: 1747-1117
Article publication date: 28 February 2022
Issue publication date: 26 January 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of environmental awards and analyze their relevance to the environmental commitment of organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
Extensive desk research, using secondary data and multiple documental sources on the environmental awards offered in Brazil.
Findings
Concerning their characteristics, awards are voluntary, do not have a standard set of guiding principles or regulations, can be offered by any desiring entity (accredited or not) and usually have qualitative evaluation methods. Regarding the contributions to social responsibility, organizations have been using awards to increase the visibility of their environmental efforts, reinforce their environmental image and disseminate environmental values and behaviors, especially within specific groups or communities. Consequently, it is argued why awards’ promotion or winning can be considered additional evidence of environmental commitment but should not be taken as a definite measure of environmental performance.
Originality/value
This paper provides a new perspective about awards, understanding them as types of recognition, and therefore, comparable to certification and labeling. Another contribution is gathering of awards’ characteristics, which can help analyze awards across several other fields, such as social responsibility, quality, innovation and public services.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Marcio Silveira, Erlete Teresa and Oli Negrelle for their support. He also thanks Marina Sayuri Tazima for her contributions. Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Citation
Conke, L.S. (2023), "Environmental awards and their relevance to the environmental commitment of organizations", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 344-357. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-11-2021-0477
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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