Environmental awareness and sustainable environmental action has progressed in two main waves:
The first wave (approximately 1960 to 1990) was characterised by a gradually growing awareness that industry was one of the large contributors to environmental degradation. As a result, a lot of effort was put into trying to change industrial procedures and management and the development of EMS standards and ISO certifications. This wave changed industrial management completely. However, it was merely a starting point with little impact on improving the environment.
In the last years, some industries have moved on to the second wave of environmental management, which is characterised by the attempt to let the "new industry" move onward to real action. Sustainability became one of the leading concepts.
Creating value in industry is a highly complex interaction between the
- The product
- Operations and management
- Shareholder relations and communications
- Policy (including sustainability)
Therefore, sustainable development in the industrial sector needs to be implemented in a way that balances all four components.