THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CSR

PROGRAMS
Irina Florentina BJAN
Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies
E-mail:irina.bajan@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The society of the 21
st
century has made amazing progress in all areas of economic life. But this
progress has unfaora!le conse"uences# especially $hen it comes to the enironment. The
discrepancy !et$een people%s gro$ing needs and limited resources of the planet dra$s attention to
sustaina!le deelopment strategies.This paper presents a !rief history of the concept of sustaina!le
deelopment# stressing the importance of education to promote and implement the concept. Then it
illustrates the !usiness response to the sustaina!le deelopment imperatie & corporate social
responsi!ility programs. Finally# the paper studies an e'ample of a social responsi!ility campaigns
dealing $ith the enironment to demonstrate the importance of the educational component in
achieing the program(s o!)ecties.
KEY WORDS
sustaina!le deelopment# corporate social responsi!ility# education# enironment.
INTRODUCTION
The 21
st
century brought many changes in societys e!olution. Science and
technology ha!e made ama"ing #rogress in many areas$ from com#uters and
telecommunications to biotechnology and financial mar%ets and to the entertainment
industry. &o'adays$ society is fast e!ol!ing$ as the number of inno!ations increases e!ery
day. (o'e!er$ recent de!elo#ment #uts a strain on the en!ironment$ since com#anies need
more resources to meet the gro'ing demand for #roducts and ser!ices$ and the rising
#o#ulation needs more food$ more #laces to li!e and 'or%. Thus$ todays society is
characteri"ed by )the gro'ing interest of the state for sustainable de!elo#ment strategies
aiming three im#ortant targets * economic$ ecologic and social) +,retu$ B-jan and .e#tan$
2//0:11.
(o'e!er$ sustainable economic de!elo#ment is not only the state2s #riority. 3t needs
a #artnershi# bet'een the state$ community and business. 3n this conte4t$ the conce#t of
cor#orate social res#onsibility is gaining e!er more ground in the business en!ironment.
Businesses sho' their res#onsibility to'ards em#loyees$ customers$ business #artners and
the en!ironment they o#erate in through #rograms that attem#t to gi!e something bac% to
the community$ to #rotect it from the destructi!e effects that economic acti!ity can ha!e on
the en!ironment.
An im#ortant com#onent of these #rograms is education$ teaching sta%eholders about
the economic dangers that unsustainable de!elo#ment and e4cessi!e consum#tion of
resources can ha!e on humans and the en!ironment and ho' these effects can be
minimi"ed or eliminated. Education in su##ort of sustainable de!elo#ment is an im#erati!e
of today2s society.
5or an illustration of the im#ortance of the educational com#onent in social
res#onsibility #rojects dealing 'ith the en!ironment$ the #a#er #resents the case of oil
com#any .etrom and the #rogram it initiated - 6Andreis ,ountry.6
1. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
The conce#t of sustainable de!elo#ment is first introduced in the 7orld
,onser!ation Strategy +#re#ared by 3nternational 8nion for ,onser!ation of &ature$ 7orld
7ildlife 5und and 8nited &ations En!ironment .rogram1 'hich argued that de!elo#ment
should ta%e into consideration$ besides economic factors$ social and en!ironmental ones$ in
order to be considered sustainable. The term is then com#leted by the Brundtland 9e#ort in
10:;$ 'hich defines sustainable de!elo#ment as 6satisfying the needs of #resent
generations 'ithout com#romising the ability of future generations to meet their o'n
needs.6 +See Brundtland$ 10:;1. 3n 1002$ follo'ing the 8nited &ations ,onference on
En!ironment and <e!elo#ment in 9io de =aneiro$ Agenda 21 'as ado#ted$ a
com#rehensi!e action #lan for sustainable de!elo#ment$ enabling communities 'orld'ide
to define their medium and long term de!elo#ment.
3n order to achie!e the objecti!es of sustainable de!elo#ment the needs of #resent
generations +economic$ social$ cultural$ health and #olitical needs1 must be met 'hile not
jeo#ardi"ing the 6#ossibility of future generations to meet their o'n needs>. This means$
among other things$ reducing non-rene'able resource use$ res#onsible use of rene'able
resources$ controlling #ollution.
&o'adays sustainable economic de!elo#ment has become essential$ due to the
need for de!elo#ment and e4#ansion of ca#italist societies. This de!elo#ment$ in addition
to economic issues$ has social and for en!ironmental im#lications. As society de!elo#s$ the
#henomenon of urbani"ation is e4#anding$ #eo#le lea!ing the countryside are mo!ing to
the city$ cities become metro#olis. .eo#le need housing$ food and jobs$ 'hich im#lies a
constant de!elo#ment. Thus$ the discre#ancy bet'een #eo#les infinite needs and finite
resources of land$ dra's attention to a more res#onsible$ more sustainable 'ay to achie!e
de!elo#ment.
Education #lays an im#ortant role in achie!ing sustainable de!elo#ment. ?; years
ago$ Schumacher described education as 6the best resource6 +Schumacher$ 10;?: @A1 that
can be used to build a just and ecological society. The Brundtland re#ort says that teachers
ha!e 6a crucial role in triggering broader social change6 +Brundtland$ 10:;: 4i!1 needed for
sustainable de!elo#ment and the 7orld ,onser!ation Strategy belie!e that en!ironmental
education is essential to sha#e attitudes and beha!iors that 'ill hel# #eo#le li!e in harmony
'ith the en!ironment$ on 'hich sur!i!al and 'ell-being of society de#ends.
The lin% bet'een education and sustainable de!elo#ment is highlighted by the 8&
decision to declare 2//B-2/1A the 8& <ecade for education for sustainable de!elo#ment
+resolution B;C2BA1. The main objecti!e of society is to ensure im#ro!ed li!ing conditions
for its citi"ens$ #resent or future$ res#ecting the #lanet. Education for sustainable
de!elo#ment is 6a long effort that causes indi!iduals$ institutions and com#anies to loo% at
tomorro' as a day that belongs to us all$ or it 'ill not belong to anyone.6 +8&ES,D$
2//A1.
Eore im#ortantly$ ,ha#ter ?@ of Agenda 21 refers to the im#ortance of education
for sustainable de!elo#ment in the follo'ing terms +8&ES,D$ 10021:
the need to reorient education to su##ort sustainable de!elo#ment
recognition of the necessity of sustainable de!elo#ment
the im#ortance of training
5or society$ education is one of the most #o'erful means at its dis#osal to 'ithstand future
changes. An educated #o#ulation understands better the dangers #osed by lac% of
consideration for the en!ironment$ the effects that human actions 'ill ha!e on nature and
'ill treat 'ith res#ect the en!ironment2s needs.
2. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
,urrently$ the conce#t of cor#orate social res#onsibility +or ,S91 is gaining e!er
more ground in business #ractices. ,om#anies ha!e reali"ed society2s need for sustainable
economic de!elo#ment and try to ado#t sustainable strategies and methods of #roduction.
3n addition$ there is a gro'ing e!idence that many of our en!ironmental and social
challanges are lin%ed$ and reFuire ne' a#roaches
,or#orate social res#onsibility can be defined as )the commitment of business to
contribute to sustainable economic de!elo#ment$ 'or%ing 'ith em#loyees$ their families$
the local community and society at large to im#ro!e their Fuality of life$ in 'ays that are
both good for business and good for de!elo#ment.6+see 9eyes$ 2//21.
,or#orate social res#onsibility #rograms entail a !oluntary initiati!e from the
com#any to gi!e bac% to the community in 'hich it o#erates. Gately$ both international
organi"ations and states ha!e established clear rules and guidelines that com#anies must
meet to ensure #rotection of human rights or the en!ironment. (o'e!er$ ,S9 refers to
something more$ the actions of an organi"ation for the 'ell-being of society$ inde#endent
of legal regulations.
Another com#onent of the ,S9 initiati!e is to e4tend the res#onsibility of
com#anies to all sta%eholders: customers$ su##liers$ em#loyees$ the #ublic and not only
shareholders. Thus$ ,S9 cam#aigns are addressed to different audiences. 5or e4am#le$ a
com#any can de!elo# a #rogram to educate em#loyees on recycling$ another to hel#
children from or#hanages or another that raises funds for a #articular issue 'ith the hel# of
its clients.
Df no less im#ortance is the relationshi# that can be created bet'een these
sta%eholders. The com#any can facilitate the creation of #artnershi#s bet'een em#loyees$
customers$ su##liers$ community for the de!elo#ment ,S9 #rograms that 'ill benefit
e!eryone in!ol!ed.
,or#orate social res#onsibility cam#aigns can ta%e many forms. According to
.hili# Hotler and &ancy Gee$ such #rograms can fall under different categories +Hotler and
Gee$ 2//B1:
,ause #romotion * 'hen the com#any contributes 'ith money or other
resources to hel# increase the notoriety and #ublic concern for a certain
cause or to mobili"e the #ublic to donate or #artici#ate in a cause.
,ause related mar%eting * 'hen the com#any donates for a cause a sum
that de#ends on the com#any2s sales in a certain #eriod.
,or#orate Social mar%eting * the com#any aims to change a negati!e
beha!ior or tries to con!ince the #ublic to ado#t a #ositi!e beha!ior.
,or#orate #hilanthro#y* the com#any contributes directly to a cause$ by
donating money or #roducts.
Socially res#onsible business #ractices * the com#any im#ro!es
!oluntarily its o#erations in order to contribute to the general 'ell-being
of the community and #rotect the en!ironment.
(o'e!er$ cor#orate social res#onsibility is not only beneficial to society. 3t is
im#ortant for com#anies$ both in terms of #ublic relations and for o#ening ne' mar%ets and
attracting ne' #otential customers$ to increase sales and im#ro!e mar%et share$ to attract
and retain !aluable em#loyees$ to differentiate the com#any from its com#etition and to
influence in!estors decisions. Therefore$ it is im#ortant for firms focus their ,S9
cam#aigns on the domain they o#erate in$ 'here they can bring added !alue and at the
same time can enjoy the long-term effects.
3nternationally$ one of the most im#ortant ,S9 initiati!es is re#resented by the 8&
Ilobal ,om#act. Gaunched in =uly 2///$ it is a #latform for #olicies and #ractices that can
be used by com#anies that su##ort sustainable de!elo#ment and res#onsible business
#ractices. 8& Ilobal ,om#act is a strategic management initiati!e$ 'hich see%s to align
o#erations and strategies of firms e!ery'here to the ten #rinci#les of en!ironmental$ labor
and honest and trans#arent business #ractices. 8& Secretary Ieneral Hofi Annan a##ealed
to the business sector to 'or% 'ith 8& to 6initiate a com#rehensi!e understanding of
common !alues and #rinci#les that 'ill gi!e a human face to the global mar%et6 +8&$
10001.
.rinci#les that refer to the en!ironment are:
.rinci#le ;: Businesses should su##ort a #recautionary a##roach to en!ironmental
challengesJ
.rinci#le :: underta%e initiati!es to #romote greater en!ironmental res#onsibilityJ and
.rinci#le 0: encourage the de!elo#ment and diffusion of en!ironmentally friendly
technologies.
,om#anies and non#rofit organi"ations in 9omania joined the 8& Ilobal
,om#act since 2//B$ today their number amounting to 11. (o'e!er$ the number of
com#anies in 9omania carrying out cam#aigns of social res#onsibility is much greater.
Social res#onsibility #rograms focus on areas li%e education$ culture$ society$
human rights$ en!ironment or s#ort. Dften ,S9 cam#aigns do not only addresses a single
domain. The educational com#onent is often #resent in most of these #rograms$ 'hether
they address en!ironmental #rotection or su##ort a social cause.
.rotecting the en!ironment is an im#ortant field of action for cor#orate social
res#onsibility cam#aigns. Such cam#aigns ha!e benefits for the community as a clean
en!ironment has #ositi!e effects on the health and 'ell-being of indi!iduals. &ot only the
community but also the firm can benefit because of the com#etiti!e ad!antage in attracting
en!ironmentally a'are consumers +(arbaugh$ Ea4'ell and 9oussillon$ 2//@1. Also$
de!elo#ing technologies that #re!ent #ollution can lead to increased #roducti!ity and
Fuality of #roduction #rocess +9ondinelli and Berry 2///1 and 'ill create organi"ational
and technological inno!ations necessary for the com#etiti!e ad!antage +9oom$ 100A1.
?. EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT ANDREIS COUNTRY
PROGRAM
5or a better understanding of the educational com#onent of social res#onsibility
cam#aigns on en!ironment$ 'e #ro#ose an analysis of the case of .etrom and )Andreis
,ountry> #rogram.
.etrom is the largest #roducer of oil and gas in South-East Euro#e$ 'ith
a##ro4imately BB/ stations in 9omania$ a turno!er of A.BB2 million euro and an EB3T<A
of 0@0 million euro in 2//:$ according to the .etrom 'ebsite .
The com#any2s ,S9 #latform$ 'hich is called 69es#ect for the future6 and 'as
initiated in 2//;$ 'as a'arded the 2//0 A'ard of E4cellence by the 3nternational
Ad!ertising Association$ being the only cor#orate #rogram a'arded this #ri"e. The
#latform is based on B #illars: .etrom Em#loyees$ Education and S#orts$ En!ironment$
Kuality and local communities.
LAndreis ,ountry> #rogram aims to educate and increase a'areness of .etrom
#artners$ em#loyees and the younger generation on the rational use of resources and
en!ironmental care. The #rogram 'as initiated in 2//0$ it ta%es #lace in a !irtual
en!ironment$ but organi"ers ha!e set to achie!e tangible results: #lanting trees$
!olunteering in !arious fields +education$ en!ironmental #rotection1$ etc.
The #rogram consists of se!eral #rojects$ one being Andrei(s *chool - a broad
com#etition on eco-ci!ic issues that has in!ited to attend #u#ils and teachers from all
11$B// #rimary schools in our country. 3ts objecti!es 'ere to familiari"e children 'ith
conce#ts related to school en!ironment$ recycling$ communication and leadershi#$ to
engage them directly in sol!ing community #roblems$ through a #roject com#eting. The
first edition 'as held from A#ril 22 to =une :$ 2//0 and had t'o stages:
3n the first #art of the com#etition$ B0;/ students from ?2/ schools ha!e acFuired
theoretical %no'ledge about to#ics such as en!ironmental #rotection$ recycling$
communication or leadershi#.
3n the second stage$ after the !isitors !oted$ A?1; students Fualified in a #rojects
com#etition for a better and cleaner 9omania.
.etrom offered cash #ri"es 'orth ?B$/// euro to the 'inners$ bicycles$ stationery$
la#to#s and the #artici#ation in the 6Andrei2s ,ountry6 summer cam# for the 'inning team.
According to the #roject site$ the most im#ortant results recorded at the end of the
first edition 'ere:
B0;/ students and ?@1 teachers from ?2/ schools 'ere in!ol!ed in the first round
of the com#etition
A?1; students and 2?: teachers from 2?; schools entered the #rojects com#etition
1:0 #rojects entered in the contest
,ommunication 'ith #roject #artici#ants 'as conducted mainly through the
'ebsite '''.taraluiandrei.ro$ 'hich also facilitated teachers2 'or% in instructing children
on the A themes of the com#etition: #ollution$ the #rotection of natural resources$ recycling$
communication and leadershi#. To this end$ the site included !ideo trainings$ teaching
guides and 'or%boo%s for students. 3n addition$ the 'ebsite also ser!ed as a #latform for
the students2 #ractical #a#ers$ a #lace 'here his family and friends could to !ote for the
fa!orite #a#er. The !irtual en!ironment allo'ed access to the #rogram to schools in isolated
!illagesJ among the most loyal users 'ere small to'ns and rural areas schools.
The 2/1/ edition of )Andrei2s School> 'ill begin on A#ril 12$ 2/1/.
)Andrei2s ,ountry> included other #rojects as 'ell:
6Andreis ,ountry6 summer cam# - 'inners of the com#etition from
'''.taraluiandrei.ro s#ent @ days in the cam#$ 'here they too% #art in discussions
and e4#eriments about #rotecting natural resources$ they recei!ed ti#s for sur!i!al
in the 'ilderness$ learned notions of coo#eration and leadershi# and became$ in
the end$ honor citi"ens of 6Andrei2s ,ountry>.
Eco-ci!ic #rojects 6Mour ,ity6 - each month$ .etrom su##orts an idea that sol!es a
#roblem in the community. .rojects are #ro#osed and the one that recei!es the
most !otes 'ill be financed.
.romoting other en!ironmental actions initiated by non#rofit organi"ations that
need !olunteers.
.lanting trees - .etrom is committed to #lant trees in the number of #oints
accumulated by the citi"ens of )Andrei2s ,ountry>. 5or nearly @ months$ o!er
1/$/// 6citi"ens6 registered on TaraluiAndrei.ro and #ro#osed community
#rojects$ !oluntary actions$ tested their %no'ledge of ecology and #layed in 6The
(ouse of Andrei.6 All of these actions 'ere scored and #oints 'ere transformed
into 6!irtual> trees that .etrom #romised to #lant in reality$ and the first #lanting
too% #lace on A#ril 1/$ 2/1/.
)Andrei2s ,ountry> is a com#le4 action through 'hich .etrom #romotes
en!ironmental #rotection and a res#onsible attitude to'ards nature through education. This
#rogram is based on the fact that among the most res#onsi!e to en!ironmental or ci!ic
messages are children bet'een 0 and 1A years of age. 3n addition$ children can hel# adults
be more sensiti!e to these issues and to determine them to engage in sol!ing #roblems. The
#rogram has brought something ne' to children in 9omania as in most #rimary schools in
our country there are no classes dedicated to the en!ironment$ the im#ortance of sa!ing
resources$ recycling and other to#ics that su##ort the conce#t of sustainable de!elo#ment.
CONCLUSIONS
<e!elo#ment in the third millennium is based not only on the economic but also
on ecology. &o'adays sustainability is the direction of strategies both national and at the
firm le!el.
5irstly$ the #a#er #resents the conce#t of sustainable de!elo#ment$ stressing the
role of education in its su##ort. Secondly$ it discusses the conce#t and #ractice of cor#orate
social res#onsibility$ the action that brings many benefits to the community and the
com#any as 'ell. Eoreo!er$ ,S9 hel#s considerably in building a society based on the
#rinci#le of sustainable de!elo#ment.
5inally$ 'e analy"e the #rogram 6Andrei2s ,ountry6$ initiated by .etrom$ to
demonstrate the lin% bet'een education and ecology. The #a#er sho's that an educational
com#onent is crucial to the success of en!ironmental ,S9.
AKNOWLEDGEMENT
This article is a result of the #roject L<octoral .rogram and .h< Students in the education
research and inno!ation triangle>. This #roject is co funded by Euro#ean Social 5und
through The Sectorial D#erational .rogramme for (uman 9esources <e!elo#ment 2//;-
2/1?$ coordinated by The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies.
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