Hållbar utveckling
Hjärtefråga eller nödvändigt ont? ? Miljöarbete hossvenska SME-företag i konfektionsbranschen.
Sustainable developmentSmeStandardsEnvironmentTextileClothingHållbar utvecklingMiljöTextilKonfektion
The aim of this thesis is to give an insight to how work is being pursued within Swedish SMEin the clothing industry. Furthermore we investigate how efforts can proceed withenvironmental questions in a quest for sustainable development and bring clarity in thedifficulties that occur. Through the use of company examples and a description of how theywork we wanted to give stakeholders knowledge in what resources and procedures that areused today on the market. The function of the report is moreover to provide Swedish smalland medium-sized clothing enterprises suggestions and directions of how to advance withinsustainable development.In our theoretical frame we have chosen to administer the theories that we found suitable forour study. Seen from a perspective of sustainability we have thus applied the theories ofstakeholder and legitimacy, an analysis model for a company?s actions in environmentalquestions and the theory of SME which describes a small or middle sized enterprise?s fivecompetitive variables.The empirical frame we acquired for this thesis is presented in three chapters. Firstly wedescribe the situation within environmental progress in the clothing industry, from the choiceof materials to environmental markings. Secondly the reader is given insight in what laws andregulations that applies within the textile area together with the unions, environmentalmanagement systems and standards that prevail as support. Thirdly, to sum up our empiricalstudy, we introduce seven company examples and describe in what ways they work withsustainable development.In the interpretation and analysis of our company examples, we found that there is adifference between how companies work with environmental questions and sustainabledevelopment. We implicate that their work in some cases is based on a genuine interest forenvironment and in other cases; environmental questions are brought forward as a result ofexternal forces from stakeholders. Furthermore, our assessment was that the standardizationsand environmental markings that are available today are regarded as far too resourcedemanding and complicated to implement. Our opinion is thus that enterprises have notrealized the value that lies within sustainable development. Thereof arises the companies?tendency towards a short-sighted economical growth rather than the long-term economicalgrowth which an investment in sustainable development generates.The thesis is written in Swedish.