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Ecological Footprint as an Indicator of Corporate Environmental Performance—Empirical Evidence from Hungarian SMEs

Author

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  • Áron Szennay

    (Department of Finance, Faculty of Finance and Accountancy, Budapest Business School, 1149 Budapest, Hungary
    Doctoral School of Regional and Economic Sciences, Széchenyi István University, 9026 Győr, Hungary)

  • Cecília Szigeti

    (Department of International and Theoretical Economics, Kautz Gyula Economics Faculty, Széchenyi István University, 9026 Győr, Hungary)

  • Judit Beke

    (Department of International Economics, Faculty of International Management and Business, Budapest Business School, 1165 Budapest, Hungary)

  • László Radácsi

    (Department of Management, Faculty of Finance and Accountancy, Budapest Business School, 1149 Budapest, Hungary)

Abstract

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in the national economies of the EU member states. This economic activity has an inevitable environmental impact; however, environmental performance indicators are mostly measured at larger companies. Since the ecological footprint (EF) is a suitable measure of unsustainability, this paper considers it as a measure of the environmental impact of SMEs. An EF calculator for SMEs was developed that is freely available online, and it is a methodological innovation per se. Our previous research projects highlighted that the calculator must be easy-to-use and reliable; therefore, the calculator considers only the common, standardizable, and comparable elements of EF. Our results are based on validated ecological footprint data of 73 Hungarian SMEs surveyed by an online ecological footprint calculator. In order to validate and test the usefulness of the calculator, interviews were conducted with respondents, and results were also checked. The paper presents benchmark data of ecological footprint indicators of SMEs obtained from five groups of enterprises (construction, white-collar jobs, production, retail and/or wholesale trade, and transportation). Statistical results are explained with qualitative data (such as environmental protection initiatives, business models, etc.) of the SMEs surveyed. Our findings could be used as a benchmark for the assessment of environmental performance of SMEs in Central- and Eastern Europe.

Suggested Citation

  • Áron Szennay & Cecília Szigeti & Judit Beke & László Radácsi, 2021. "Ecological Footprint as an Indicator of Corporate Environmental Performance—Empirical Evidence from Hungarian SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:1000-:d:483268
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    1. Diaz Restrepo, Carlos Andres & Patiño, Mónica & Duque, Pedro & Cervantes Cervantes, Luis Salvador & Franco Rivera , Andrea, 2023. "Rendimiento financiero en pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes): un análisis bibliométrico de la producción científica," Apuntes del Cenes, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, vol. 42(75), pages 45-80, January.
    2. Cecília Szigeti & Zoltán Major & Dániel Róbert Szabó & Áron Szennay, 2023. "The Ecological Footprint of Construction Materials—A Standardized Approach from Hungary," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, January.

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