The purpose of the study is to determine the awareness of teachers, at all levels of education, regarding their awareness of environmental ethics. The role of teachers is important for the transmission of environmental ethics through environmental education to future generations. A systematic literature review was conducted based on articles from academic publishers and journals. Selected journal articles highlight the benefits of environmental ethics and education in education, but also the important role of teachers in imparting values to students. Environmental ethics and education are presented at the level of educational organizations, highlighting the importance of teachers' contribution to the transmission of knowledge and values. The bibliographic analysis shows that the teachers were particularly aware of environmental education issues, regardless of race. Interest in environmental ethics and education is constantly increasing and much research has been conducted in recent decades and the existing literature is quite extensive.
Top1. Introduction
Environmental responsibility towards in a sustainable environment is a decisive factor in environmental education. Environmental Social Governance (ESG) is defined by the business model that regulates the company to be socially accountable to all stakeholders, including society. Corporate strategy should focus beyond governance on the environment and society. The sustainable management of human resources is necessary to seek the achievement of positive environmental and economic results. Environmental, social and governance must be characterized by social responsibility in human resources (Lydenberg, 2013). The green recruitment of workers, their green training and their development, green remuneration and reward will play an important role in dealing with business issues, with the aim of their ecological operation and the protection of the environment and living organisms (Friede et al., 2015). Holdgate (1990) considers that human actions must be characterized by ethics and be based on values and ideals that indicate the interdependence of the planet and respect for life in all its forms. As Crifo & Mottis (2016) report, investors who make impactful investments, consistent with environmental and social governance, increase long-term return benefits. Studies have shown that the high performance of companies and organizations in matters of sustainable development is related to the degree of employee satisfaction (Ginglinger, Megginson, & Waxin, 2011; Maris, & Psychalis, 2024; Maris, & Flouros, 2021). Satisfied employees are more productive, resulting in increased business performance.
The green training and development of employees according to environmental management standards and their awareness of sustainable development production issues is essential to promote organizational and ecological transformation. The social issues of our time concern society more and more due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 that preceded it (Giossi & Anastasiadou, 2014; 2018a; 2018b; Papademetriou et al., 2022; 2023). In modern society, population growth, the unaccountable use of environmental resources, climate change, and indastrialization threaten the environment and its sustainability.
Companies are increasingly assessed for social issues, often also for how they work with the communities in which they operate and how they contribute to the well-being of these communities, in line with the rules of sustainable development. High performance in environmental, social and corporate governance issues enables organizations to improve their image and reputation and attract new prospective employees and buyers. Many organizations are at an early stage in terms of corporate social governance criteria. Human resources play an important role in achieving this change. Incorporating sustainability principles requires a change in corporate culture. The contribution of employees plays an important role in the activity of enterprises that seek to transform business operations.
Education for Sustainability is a lifelong process learning which contributes to developed problem-solving capacity and the obligation for citizens to participate in individual and collaborative actions, which will ensure an environmentally sound and economically prosperous future (Gruenewald, 2004). Environmental education in schools needs to aim at informing students about the actions to be taken to preserve and promote the environment (Johnson and Mappin, 2005). It is imperative that educators understand the need to educate students, due to contemporary environmental problems and issues, as they are the future citizens (Fien, 2003). The objectives of this research are to answer important questions such as: