Innovative practices for pollution prevention and control implemented by companies in Romania

Abstract

This paper explores the practices of companies present on the Romanian market which are preventing and controlling the pollution in their areas of expertise. Many of the companies are trying to find solutions to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, some of them pleading for the importance of keeping the environment safe, the ecosystems protected, and the degree of pollution at a lower level. Given the massive use of fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources and the international commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, care for natural resources and pollution reduction becomes essential in ensuring access of future generations to a safe and healthy life. In today’s time, technology plays an essential role in the management of a company, naturally it cannot be absent from the solutions thought to reduce air and water pollution. Hence, the importance of the existing solutions which could be considered innovative measures. The purpose of this paper is to determine the pollution situation and the factors that contributed to it. At the same time, it will present the evolution of the practices applied by companies to combat water and air pollution, so far. The methodology is based on an analysis of the public sustainability reports from the past years, of the activity of the companies on the Romanian market. Through sustainability reports, large companies present the evolution and results of the applied solutions. Anti-pollution practices can be classified according to their field of activity and type of activity. The study contributes to the review of the literature by focusing on the practices implemented by companies in relation to work and the natural environment at the borders of Romania. Companies embrace the fight against pollution, including this as part of their sustainability strategy, as a goal which can be achieved only with teamwork, with the stakeholder’s involvement: employees, customers, suppliers, and all those stakeholders who stand for the same values, taking action and using concrete facts to follow the strategy to make an impact for the better.