Changes in Sustainability Priorities in Organisations due to the COVID-19 Outbreak: Averting Environmental Rebound Effects on Society

Maria Barreiro-Gen, Rodrigo Lozano and Afnan Zafar
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Maria Barreiro-Gen: Center for Logistics and Innovative Production, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, University of Gävle, SE-801 76 Gävle, Sweden
Rodrigo Lozano: Center for Logistics and Innovative Production, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, University of Gävle, SE-801 76 Gävle, Sweden
Afnan Zafar: Center for Logistics and Innovative Production, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, University of Gävle, SE-801 76 Gävle, Sweden

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: The COVID-19 outbreak has affected societies and organisations in an unprecedented way. This has resulted in negative impacts to economic and social issues, but it is a “blessing in disguise” for environmental issues. This paper analyses how the outbreak has affected organisations’ sustainability priorities. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, such priorities were on the economic dimension followed by the environmental and social dimensions. A survey was sent to 11,657 organisations to analyse such changes, with a 5.60% response rate. The results show that for organisations, the main priority is now on the social dimension, followed by the economic one; however, the environmental dimension has suffered a negative impact in prioritisation, regardless of organisation type, country where they are based, organisation size, or the time they have been working on sustainability. We are currently facing an environmental conundrum, where air quality has improved and pollution has decreased in societies, but organisations are starting to neglect such environmental issues. The COVID-19 outbreak is an opportunity for organisations to better contribute to sustainability by ensuring that the efforts that have been undertaken in the last three decades are not forgotten, and that societies and organisations are better coupled to face such crises and avert rebound effects.

Keywords: organisations; sustainability; environment; priorities; COVID-19 outbreak (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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