Environmental management in ethanol and sugarcane plants in Brazil

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Data

2012-02-01

Autores

Ribeiro, Silvio [UNESP]
Chiappetta Jabbour, Charbel Jose

Título da Revista

ISSN da Revista

Título de Volume

Editor

Taylor & Francis Inc

Resumo

There has been much discussion on the importance of Brazilian ethanol in promoting a more sustainable society. However, there is a lack of analysis of whether sugarcane plants/factories that produce this ethanol are environmentally suitable. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyse stages of environmental management at four Brazilian ethanol-producing plants, examining the management practices adopted and the factors behind this adoption. The results indicate that (1) only one of the four plants is in the environmentally proactive stage; (2) all plants are adopting operational and organisational environmental management practices; (3) all plants have problems in communicating environmental management practices; and (4) the plant with the most advanced environmental management makes intense use of communication practices and is strongly oriented towards a more environmentally aware international market. This paper is an attempt to explain the complex relationship between the evolution of environmental management, environmental practices and motivation using a framework. The implications for society, plant directors and scholars are described, as well as the study's limitations.

Descrição

Palavras-chave

sustainable development, environmental management practices, sugarcane and ethanol-processing plants, Brazil

Como citar

International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology. Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis Inc, v. 19, n. 1, p. 54-66, 2012.