Environmental management system, green manufacturing and corporate learning from the discourse of sustainable development

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the basic elements of the research which is directed towards the development of models for learning and training of employees for green manufacturing in modern business organizations. The objective was achieved through the operationalization of the following major tasks: the theoretical research on the specific characteristics of the development of modern business organizations from the discourse of environmental protection and realisation of sustainable development strategy; reviewing the possibilities of implementing the environmental management system (ISO 14001) in the system of organizational management; directing the management of an organization, the development of tools for reducing adverse environmental impact and establishing green production. Beside the theoretical approach to the research problem, an empirical study of educational needs of employees for environmental protection in Serbian company was conducted. The observation and description of best practices of corporate learning for environmental protection in some modern and internationally-known business organizations were made as well.It is possible to enable the contemporary society to build "a green society of future" by the means of the policy of sustainable development, education and development of corporate responsibility and awareness of the needs for sustainability and green production. Sustainable development implies the transformation of existing technologies towards cleaner ones which see the environmental sustainability in prevention not in treatment. In order to achieve these goal standards for environmental protection (EMS) were adopted as a part of overall system of organizational management. These are used for the development and application of environmental policy and for the management of environmental aspects. Our findings confirm the need for the transformation of existing organizations into learning organizations as a prerequisite for realisation of green manufacturing industries. Comparative analysis of examples of good practice has helped to identify the benefits achieved in companies by the improvement of corporate learning for sustainable development and environmental protection.Implementation of research tasks are to realize immediate implications for development and implementation for training and teaching staf staff for the protection of the environment in modern business organizations in accordance with modern environmental standards and principles of sustainable development. The practical implications relate to the creation of organizational, programmatic and methodological structure, training of employees for the environmental protection that will enable the appropriate transfer and dissemination of knowledge in this field. At the same time, research opens up new tasks that are directed to the constant questioning of corporate policy and thinking skills that we need for tomorrow's world and a sustainable future. This paper presents the information about new alternatives for teaching and learning of employees in corporate systems. It offers the reader new approaches to development of green manufacturing and modelling the corporate behaviour in accordance with the strategy of environmental protection and sustainable development principles.