Environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability: state of implementation, benefits and barriers in German construction companies
The construction industry, as one of almost every economy’s major generators of environmental impact, can contribute in large measure to achieving the goals of sustainability. However, most publications in this field deal with sustainability with reference to selecting construction materials and imp...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Civil Engineering and Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.vgtu.lt/index.php/JCEM/article/view/593 |
| _version_ | 1818876923287175168 |
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| author | Jan-Simon Schmidt Rainard Osebold |
| author_facet | Jan-Simon Schmidt Rainard Osebold |
| author_sort | Jan-Simon Schmidt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The construction industry, as one of almost every economy’s major generators of environmental impact, can contribute in large measure to achieving the goals of sustainability. However, most publications in this field deal with sustainability with reference to selecting construction materials and improvements in the operating phase of buildings. When considering ecological sustainability the focus has to be extended from the finished building to the building process. Therefore the actors of the construction sector who are responsible for the production process have to be studied: the construction companies. The goal of this paper is to study the state of ecologically sustainable corporate business management in construction. The state of application of elements of environmental management systems (EMS) is used as an indicator of the current situation in German construction companies. EMS can help continuously to environmentally improve the operating processes of the firms. A broad survey about the extent of EMS has been conducted considering the barriers and drivers. In general, a relatively low interest in EMS and a lack of knowledge is noticeable within the sector. As a result, strategic recommendations are made on how to promote environmental management to foster sustainable thinking in the German construction industry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T13:50:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e98d9c4c101400ba7357789f5ab3546 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1392-3730 1822-3605 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T13:50:06Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Vilnius Gediminas Technical University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Civil Engineering and Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e98d9c4c101400ba7357789f5ab35462022-12-21T20:18:46ZengVilnius Gediminas Technical UniversityJournal of Civil Engineering and Management1392-37301822-36052017-01-0123110.3846/13923730.2014.946441Environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability: state of implementation, benefits and barriers in German construction companiesJan-Simon Schmidt0Rainard Osebold1RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, GermanyRWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074 Aachen, GermanyThe construction industry, as one of almost every economy’s major generators of environmental impact, can contribute in large measure to achieving the goals of sustainability. However, most publications in this field deal with sustainability with reference to selecting construction materials and improvements in the operating phase of buildings. When considering ecological sustainability the focus has to be extended from the finished building to the building process. Therefore the actors of the construction sector who are responsible for the production process have to be studied: the construction companies. The goal of this paper is to study the state of ecologically sustainable corporate business management in construction. The state of application of elements of environmental management systems (EMS) is used as an indicator of the current situation in German construction companies. EMS can help continuously to environmentally improve the operating processes of the firms. A broad survey about the extent of EMS has been conducted considering the barriers and drivers. In general, a relatively low interest in EMS and a lack of knowledge is noticeable within the sector. As a result, strategic recommendations are made on how to promote environmental management to foster sustainable thinking in the German construction industry.http://journals.vgtu.lt/index.php/JCEM/article/view/593German construction industryustainabilityenvironmental management systemsbroad surveystrategy |
| spellingShingle | Jan-Simon Schmidt Rainard Osebold Environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability: state of implementation, benefits and barriers in German construction companies Journal of Civil Engineering and Management German construction industry ustainability environmental management systems broad survey strategy |
| title | Environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability: state of implementation, benefits and barriers in German construction companies |
| title_full | Environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability: state of implementation, benefits and barriers in German construction companies |
| title_fullStr | Environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability: state of implementation, benefits and barriers in German construction companies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability: state of implementation, benefits and barriers in German construction companies |
| title_short | Environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability: state of implementation, benefits and barriers in German construction companies |
| title_sort | environmental management systems as a driver for sustainability state of implementation benefits and barriers in german construction companies |
| topic | German construction industry ustainability environmental management systems broad survey strategy |
| url | http://journals.vgtu.lt/index.php/JCEM/article/view/593 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jansimonschmidt environmentalmanagementsystemsasadriverforsustainabilitystateofimplementationbenefitsandbarriersingermanconstructioncompanies AT rainardosebold environmentalmanagementsystemsasadriverforsustainabilitystateofimplementationbenefitsandbarriersingermanconstructioncompanies |