Abstract
A company can be considered sustainable when it pursues its goals while maintaining ecological balance, and employee and community well-being. This perception of enterprise activities results from the spread of the concept of sustainable development, according to which enterprises should not only achieve their own goals, but also address the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. The transformation of enterprises towards sustainability is a difficult and multidimensional process. It requires changes in operation of an enterprise, e.g., including environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into its business model. This article aims to show the process of transformation of Polish enterprises towards sustainability. The article analyzes ESG activities of companies from industries with different impact on the environment (chemical and banking) in 2021-2022. The results show that companies are aware of the need to include ESG factors in their business model. The scope and nature of the activities depend on the financial situation of the enterprise and its needs. In industries with a strong impact on the environment, environmental investments are more important. The activities of the enterprises over the analyzed years did not change significantly, suggesting determination in implementing the adopted strategy consistent with the sustainable development.
Publisher
University of Maribor Press
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