Environmental Sustainability and Eco-innovations: A win to win procedure. Implementation Strategies in Businesses.

• Main Author: Gkioni, Stella
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Högskolan i Halmstad, Akademin för ekonomi, teknik och naturvetenskap 2015
• Subjects: eco-innovation; sustainability; innovation; strategies for sustainability and eco-innovations; barriers
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-29687

Purpose: Environmental sustainability was firstly thought to be an obstacle to economic development, whereas innovation promotes it. Nowadays, the contradiction between these two terms is less and the purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of the connection between environmental sustainability and eco-innovations as this can lead to a win to win procedure with the help of the relevant strategies that should be applicable based also on scientific evidence. Design – Methodology – Approach: This paper consists of four case studies in the sustainability and eco-innovation sector in Sweden. An abductive method is used. Emails were sent and phone calls were made to the companies. Skype and telephone interviews were conducted. Findings: The findings provide a practical contribution to the companies of how certain strategies can be implemented in businesses so as to connect environmental sustainability and eco-innovations. Moreover, the findings showed that barriers did not appear that could influence or change companies’ strategies. Research limitations / implications: This paper is only limited to one dimension of sustainability, that of the environment, besides focuses on eco-innovations that come from the gulf of the environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the thesis is limited in the strategies that businesses implement towards environmental sustainability and eco-innovations, as well as the potentials barriers that may come up. Practical Implications: The practical implications are identified to the actions / strategies that businesses follow towards environmental sustainability and eco-innovations. Originality – Value: This paper finds and fills the gap that many companies have as far as the non-comprehension of how environmental sustainability and eco-innovations are connected by the means of implementing specific strategies. Key Words: sustainability, innovation, eco-innovation, strategies for sustainability and eco-innovations, barriers. Paper: Master Thesis