Why Companies Do Not Renew Their EMAS Registration? An Exploratory Research

The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is the official Environmental Management System (EMS) issued by the European Union (EU). Italy is the country where EMAS is most widespread, accounting for over 1000 registered organizations. Since entry into the force of the Regulation in 1997, the number of registrations has constantly grown until 2008, when the figures started to drop. The phenomena are due to both the decrease of the annual registration rate and the lack of renewals. According to the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), in recent years, an increasing number of organizations decided to withdraw from EMAS registration. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reasons of this negative trend. The first step consisted of a literature review concerning the main barriers, difficulties, and costs incurred by EMAS-registered organizations. Subsequently, this information was integrated with data about the evolution of EMAS registrations and the results of a previous survey, which involved the entire population of registered firms. The present exploratory research highlighted economic and operational domains concerning the cancellation trends that deserve a deeper investigation, which will be conducted through a questionnaire addressed to Italian firms that did not renew the registration in the last lustrum. The intended output will allow us to identify stakeholders' priority intervention areas in order to suggest an operative strategy to reduce EMAS cancellation rates, addressed to Member States (MS) Competent Bodies

Evaluating the Impact of Public Information and Training Campaigns to Improve Energy Efficiency: Findings from the Italian Industry

Energy efficiency is a pillar for the energy system transition and for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. In the light of the “energy efficiency first!” principle, European member states enforce policies to spread energy saving throughout the whole energy chain involving both citizens and industries. In this context, information and training campaigns arise as valuable support tools to disseminate energy efficiency and, therefore, for reducing energy consumption. Although various studies have evaluated the impact of information campaigns targeted to citizens, there is a lack of investigations that assess the impact of campaigns dedicated to industry sectors. This study discusses the results of a survey targeted at energy-intensive Italian companies, with a sample of 300 responses. Starting from the analysis of drivers that trigger the implementation of energy efficiency measures, the paper proposes an approach to evaluate the amount of energy savings linked to the Italian information and training program targeted to industries carried out by the Italian Energy Efficiency Agency. Results show that although information campaigns are not a crucial driver for companies, they are recognized as a factor that contributes to the implementation of energy efficiency practices. Findings show that roughly 1.4% of energy savings noted by interviewed companies to the Italian Energy Efficiency Agency are a direct effect of the information and training program. This outcome has significant implications, especially for decision-makers, giving evidence of the efficacy of information campaigns on industries, which have great potential for the transition to low carbon production systems

Delighting Hotel Guests with Sustainability: Revamping Importance-Performance Analysis in the Light of the Three-Factor Theory of Customer Satisfaction

Tourism has a key role in the global economy, and it is a significant contributor to environmental degradation and climate change. Concurrently, it is one of the most exposed businesses to the deterioration of environmental quality. Inside the tourism sector, the hospitality industry accounts for nearly 30% of emissions and in recent years has begun to introduce voluntary tools to manage the environmental impacts of its operations. Among these instruments, ecolabels ensure compliance with specific environmental performance criteria and reliable communication. In Italy, Legambiente Turismo is the most widespread tourism ecolabel that awards over 300 hotels. Previous investigations have shown that firms implementing environmental sustainability practices may gain economic advantages in terms of savings thanks to increased efficiency and reduced waste. At the same time, when evaluating firms’ performance, it is relevant to explore how customers perceive the actions implemented by the accommodation industry to minimize the environmental impact of its activities. Through a survey addressed to the customers of an eco-labeled hotel, this paper investigates if green practices form a specific dimension of service quality and if these green practices are considered by hotel guests as excitement factors among hotel service quality attributes. Results show that customers identify environmental practices as a specific dimension of eco-labeled hotels. Moreover, applying the three-factors theory of customer satisfaction, findings identify hotel green practices as delighting guests if properly delivered and communicated. Findings have significant implications both from a theoretical and managerial viewpoint, as they show that customers positively recognize the hotel’s commitment toward the natural environment, representing a significant differentiation strategy on the market

The EMAS impasse: Factors influencing Italian organizations to withdraw or renew the registration

The Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) are voluntary tools with which companies manage the environmental aspects of their operations. In Europe, the most widespread are the ISO 14001:2015 international standard and the one defined by the European Regulation EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme). During the last years, while the number of ISO 14001 certified organizations has constantly grown, EMAS registered organizations have been declining. This phenomenon has occurred also in Italy, which accounts for roughly one-fourth of the 4000 European registrations. Only few scholars have explored this phenomenon and the existing relationship between EMAS outcomes and the decision to renew the Registration. Focusing on the Italian context, this paper aims at reducing this gap. The study presents the results of a survey, targeted to Italian EMAS organizations, that through a questionnaire investigates how the Scheme impacts on organizations' operations. Results have been analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Cluster Analysis and Binary Logistic Regressions, with the main goal to evaluate whether EMAS perceived benefits are significant in the decision to maintain the registration. Moreover, it explores the existence of significant linkages between organizationsâ\u80\u99 characteristics and their willingness to renew EMAS. Findings show a significant predisposition to renew the registration, especially for small-sized organizations. Conversely, there is a negative link between renewal intentions and the possession of ISO 14001 certification. Finally, perceived benefits gained with EMAS implementation are not constantly significant predictors of the willingness to renew the registration. Despite the negative growth trend, the high levels of willingness to renew EMAS expressed by the respondents confirm the tool as a valuable resource and a solid baseline toward the implementation of more sustainable business models. Additionally, positive outcomes of EMAS such as the maximization of material productivity and energy efficiency, the creation of value from waste and the implementation of standardized environmental indicators may support organizations in the transition toward circular economy

Main drivers to traceability systems in the food supply chain

Traceability is an increasingly important and essential tool within the agri-food sector. It rep- resents a very useful tool for analyzing, monitoring and managing the flow of products. In recent years, food traceability has become a key element which all companies have to manage (Myae and Goddard 2012). Food safety is now essential for all operators in the supply chain, and trace- ability is one of the elements necessary to ensure security and to connect consumers and market operators (Liu, Cheng, and Zhang 2013). Food security can be achieved by increasing the quality of products and services taking into consideration the whole supply chain, thus implementing a system that involves all stakeholders, from raw materials to final consumers (Pascu 2013). In ad- dition to ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of food, traceability systems are meant to foster a better relationship with consumers, providing them with information about the products they are buying (Menozzi et al. 2013). In recent years the scientific community has significantly developed the debate on traceabil- ity, due to various social issues and events that have set food security at the center of public debate. If beforehand tracking was implemented voluntarily by the companies in the supply chain, today it is regulated in many countries with mandatory laws, that rule the basic principles to be followed by market operators (Schwägele 2005). The literature has dealt to analyze and describe various aspects of traceability as the definition of the concept, the elements for its successful implementation, the technologies, the benefits and barriers to its implementation (Bosona and Gebresenbet 2013). The objective of this paper is to investigate briefly what are the key drivers that have led in recent years an increasing implemen- tation of traceability systems in the food supply chain. Initially, a general analysis is carried out on the definition of traceability and its significance in terms of economic theory. In the second part a subsequent examination of the reasons that lead companies to invest in traceability systems is presented

“Please Reuse Your Towels” - Guest Insights of Green Practices in the Hotel Industry

In recent years, tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification to become one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, occupying a prominent role in the European economy. However, the growth of the tourism sector goes hand in hand with its increasing environmental impact. It is, therefore, necessary to find a balance between the tourism sector and its environmental dimension, to increase both the profitability of tourism and the quality of the ecosystem. Over the years, more and more hotels are integrating sustainability practices in the management of their operations. Academic literature shows that hotels go green for many reasons: financial savings, access to public funding, employee commitment, facing public scrutiny, investor relations, and general social good. However, one of the main reasons for hotels to go green is to respond to consumers’ growing green consciousness. Indeed, consumers are increasingly looking for environment-friendly lodging options, but they are also feeling uninformed about whether hotels are truly eco-friendly. Because of consumers’ concern toward environmental sustainability, the hospitality industry is also developing voluntary-based tools to reduce its environmental impacts and to satisfy the increasing market segment of green customers. In this context, third-party certified ecolabels ensure hotel compliance with specific environmental performance criteria and offer reliable communication to their guests. So, understanding how consumers perceive and evaluate the environmental quality and eco-friendly practices in hotels helps to plan and define win-win strategies for tourism sustainable management. Starting with the analysis of literature, we propose a conceptual framework to investigate whether green practices implemented by the Italian “Legambiente Turismo” certified hotels contribute significantly to the formation of guest positive behavioral intention toward green hotels. Even if little research has been conducted on this topic, understanding the role of hotels' environmental practices is pivotal in the hotel decision-making process and strategy. To clarify this point, a survey was conducted with guests of two Italian hotels awarded with the ecolabel, and 335 questionnaires were usable and employed in the analysis, adopting Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypotheses. Research findings are valuable for both hotel managers and decision-makers, clarifying the role of environmental communication and guest environmental concern in the guest recognition of hotels' environmental efforts. The study also confirms the relationship between the implementation of green practices and the rise of market awareness and loyalty towards green hotels

Exploring the relationship between green hotel attributes, guest satisfaction and loyalty

Sustainability in tourism emerged as a critical issue for a long-term strategy of industry’s growth. The accommodation sector is responsible for roughly one-quarter of tourism GHG emission and, since decades, eco-friendly practices have been applied on a voluntary basis. The implementation of these practices is partly a consequence of consumers’ growing awareness toward environmental sustainability. Examining the results of a survey addressed to guests of an Italian hotel awarded with Legambiente Turismo Eco-label, the paper investigates the relationship between guest’s perceptions of hotel green attributes and their satisfaction and loyalty. Variance-based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) has been employed to test hypothesis. Findings suggest that the environmental practices implemented by the hotel have a positive impact on guest overall satisfaction and loyalty. Moreover, results indicate that the staying at green hotels lead guests to develop a specific loyalty toward the whole range of hotels implementing green practices

Sustainability experiences in the wine sector: toward the development of an international indicators system

Increasing awareness for sustainability has led to the proliferation of initiatives in the wine industry. These initiatives mainly aim at managing the environmental aspects of wine production. In this context, the identification of suitable indicators is crucial to evaluate the industry's progress toward sustainability. Firstly, in the present study, the main environmental impacts of wine production are reviewed, with specific reference to LCA studies. On this baseline, the main programs from the New World, Europe and Italy that address sustainability in the wine sector are examined. Results show that each program has its strengths and weaknesses, but there is still a large margin to merge the best of these programs in one unique protocol internationally recognized. Therefore, the authors have compared the set of indicators employed by two specific wine industries initiatives (the Italian VIVA and Californian CSWA) and the indicators implemented by the wine Italian companies certified with the Environmental Management System (EMS), defined by the European Regulation EMAS. A specific evaluation framework has been developed to assess the comprehensiveness of these indicators in terms of their capacity to address the triple bottom line of sustainability. Findings reveal that while VIVA consider environmental, economic and social aspects, CSWA and EMAS focus mainly on environmental impacts of wine production. Additionally, only EMAS has an approach to the evaluation of raw materials efficiency and waste management. The outcome of the study integrates existing literature on sustainable wine production, expanding the scope of previous analysis and introducing an evaluation framework that stakeholders of the industry may apply to introduce new indicators sets to assess sustainability performances of wine producers