Environmental sustainability for traditional energy small and medium enterprises

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Apr;30(16):47822-47831. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-25718-x. Epub 2023 Feb 7.

Abstract

The improvement of production processes, the development and use of new technologies, materials and energy infrastructure, the transition to new fuels, and the growth of energy consumption-all gives impetus to the advancement and continuous modernization of the energy sector. Hence, the transition to the concept of sustainable development poses new challenges to the energy sector: meeting the increasing demand for energy should occur while reducing the sector's anthropogenic impact on the environment. The energy sector must meet the requirements of sustainable development, for this, it needs to carry out a large-scale eco-modernization of the energy infrastructure, when the environmental component comes to the fore when developing long-term development programs for individual enterprises. Although the introduction of the principles of sustainable development may become one of the drivers for improving the efficiency of energy enterprises and achieving environmental sustainability, they have been introduced in a small part of enterprises. The purpose of this study is to define key principles and factors that should be included in the concept of environmental sustainability in traditional energy SMEs. Based on the results of the study, a list of factors that have a direct impact on the environmental sustainability of traditional energy facilities has been formed.

Keywords: Energy enterprises; Energy sector; Environmental sustainability; SME; Sustainability; Traditional energy.

MeSH terms

  • Efficiency*
  • Sustainable Development*