Effects of Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility Practices on Environmental Sustainability: A Study on Industrial Companies in Turkey

Introduction

Today, climate change due to global warming, extraordinary deterioration in the natural environment and the melting of glaciers seriously threaten human health and existence. Cases such as forest fires and flood disasters, which have been seen frequently in the summer months, and the covid-19 epidemic due to the melting of glaciers, seriously threaten humanity. Public institutions and businesses have important duties in the construction of a more livable and healthy natural environment. It is seen that many studies have been carried out in the literature on environmental sustainability (Önce at al., 2015; Solomon and Marun, 2012; Surty at al., 2018; Ebner at al., 2006; Finnveden at al., 2009; Gatimbu at al., 2018).

Within the scope of this study, the measures taken by the enterprises for the relationship between environmental responsibility and environmental sustainability were examined. When the issue of environmental sustainability is examined in the literature, it is seen that there are many studies on this subject (Menteşe, 2017; Şenocak and Mohan, 2018; Gedik, 2020; Sun et al., 2020; Van Huis et al., 2017; Oláh et al., 2020). However, none of the previous studies have examined publicly traded companies. It is thought that this study provides new contributions to the literature compared to its counterparts. When the reason for this is examined, first of all, the environmental sustainability reports for 15 companies from the 30 largest publicly traded companies operating in different business lines in Turkey were examined. The reports cover environmental management activities in 2020. In this respect, it is thought that the study will contribute positively to the literature.

Yücel (2021), in his study, “The environment, which is defined as the mechanism of a balanced / dynamic functioning in the relations of living things among themselves and with other living things, constitutes the whole of life support systems consisting of living and non-living beings that are used to sustain the lives of living things living in air / water / soil” (Yücel, 2001). 2021: 54) has made the definition of the environment. Değirmenci and Aytekin (2021), in their study, stated that “In order to protect the natural environment, enterprises should prioritize recycling activities, benefit from environmentally protective technologies during production, and encourage environmentally sensitive behaviors of employees” (Değirmenci and Aytekin, 2021: 28). Süklüm (2020) stated in his study that “Especially with the industrial revolution, the technological developments in the production processes, the rapid increase in the population, the profit-oriented thinking of the enterprises in the production processes and not paying attention to the issues such as waste management and environmental pollution, the environment suffers. However, the level of damage to the environment, both on an individual basis and on a business basis, has reached dangerous levels and this has led to social reactions and non-governmental organizations have started to engage in activities that draw attention to the issue. As a result, legal measures have been taken at the national and international level. Businesses inevitably take measures on environmental issues such as preventing environmental pollution, reducing waste management, greenhouse gas and carbon emissions, and develop strategies and policies in this direction” (Süklüm, 2020: 157).