Commitments to sustainability in the Czech chemical companies

Abstract

The declining resources of raw materials and the associated increase in their prices, together with the global competitive environment in which digitization and automation of production play a crucial role, force the companies to think about in context of the sustainability of their own businesses. Extensive qualitative research among companies within the chemical industry in the Czech Republic was carried out to identify perceived importance of business sustainability and a generally proactive approach to respect the principles of sustainable development. Based on almost complete survey of large and medium-sized chemical enterprises in the number of 144 surveyed items, the level of information was determined as the data available from enterprises to stakeholders through Internet platforms. It has been found that the Czech companies lag significantly behind in terms of proactive promotion of sustainability, and to a large extent do not address the issues of social or environmental responsibility. Such findings indicate a lack of understanding of the importance of the company's continuous operation in the long term, which may represent a significant problem in future for the competitiveness of the entire chemical industry in the Czech Republic.