Factor system and framework approach to measuring the environmental potential of textile enterprises

02018


Introduction
The sustainable development issues raised by the UN organization at the conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and actively promoted in recent years are gradually being introduced into the activities of Russian business, despite all the difficulties it faces.In its time, Russia actively responded to the call to ensure responsible production, consumption and development, to fight climate warming, to preserve ecosystems, to ensure the health and wellbeing of its citizens.Russian scientists V.I.Vernadsky and N.N.Moiseyev in the early twentieth century outlined their concept of development as "co-evolution of nature and society", considering this term identical to the term "sustainable development" and developing the theory of biosphere controlled by reasonable human thought.In 1996, Russia developed and approved the "Concept of Sustainable Development of the Russian Federation", which defined three main stages of its strategy: 1) solution of acute socioeconomic problems, 2) structural transformations in the socio-economic field aimed at preserving the country's ecology, and 3) harmonization of society and nature.
In Russia, in recent years, the indicators characterizing the impact of economic activity on the environment have slightly improved, especially compared to 2000 and 2010, but the rate of improvement, if compared to 2019, has decreased (Table 1).The volume of recycled and sequential water use increased by 9.3% compared to 2010.According to Rosvodresursy, discharges of polluted wastewater decreased by 27.7%, although the rate of decrease amounted to only 7.9% compared to 2019.Emissions of pollutants into the atmospheric air are reduced by 31% compared to 2010 and by 1.8% compared to 2019.However, industrial waste continues to grow in significant volumes, although the growth rate is decreasing.Compared to 2010, the growth rate was 2.26 times, but waste utilization increased 2.26 times during this period.In 2021, the volume of waste increased by 9.0% compared to 2019, although there was a decrease of 10.3% in 2020 compared to 2019.Environmental protection expenditures increased significantly (almost 3.34 times YoY), although again there was a decrease in growth rate compared to 2019.All this is due to the fact that due to the current situation the goals of sustainable development and national projects of Russia were adjusted until 2030.In general, we can say that despite the fact that much is being done, there are still many problems.
In particular, "one of the most disturbing production models" [1] in relation to the interaction with nature continues to be the textile industry [1] in terms of interaction with nature continues to be the textile industry, as its production is associated with high water consumption, use of toxic materials, pollution by sewage, harsh production conditions causing occupational diseases, etc. (second place in the world in terms of environmental pollution [2]).From 5 to 10% of the mass of the world's solid municipal waste are textile products [3], and at the same time, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation in the mid-twenties of the 21st century, only 6% of garbage was recycled in Russia, and the volume of recycled and neutralized waste from the light industry amounted, according to the Russian Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology, to about 15% of the total annual waste generation in the country.

Materials and methods
Enterprises as the main consumers of natural resources play a huge role in preserving the ecology of the country.This article and its conclusions are based on the review of literature sources devoted to the problems of integrating the concept of sustainable development into the activities of organizations, assessment of environmental management (EM) efficiency, as well as on the study of ISO 14001 standards and recommendations for their implementation made by scientists from Great Britain, Sweden, India, etc.The study uses data from official state statistics of Russia, reports on sustainable development of Russian enterprises in various industries and sectors of the economy.The study uses data from official state statistics of Russia, reports on the sustainable development of Russian enterprises in various industries and sectors of the economy, and applies methods of theoretical generalization and comparative analysis.
According to the published data of the International Organization for Standardization ISO in Russia in 2022, only 627 certificates were issued for compliance of the environmental management system with the international standard ISO 14001, which, although compared to 2021 and was an increase of 12%, but still too little.The ISO 14001 standard only provides a framework for enterprises to protect the environment and define the requirements that enable them to achieve the results they set themselves.To obtain a certificate of compliance, an organization must meet the requirements of the standard, but the degree of comprehensiveness of the environmental management system may vary.
In this regard, it is advisable to form a model for measuring environmental potential (EP), although it needs appropriate scientific and methodological substantiation.Measurement of environmental potential can be a powerful tool for building the organization's activities in the field of ecology and help it to obtain the appropriate certificate as proof that it can be trusted.In addition, the formation of environmental capacity leads to the development of the organization and increases its competitiveness.
However, the concept of environmental capacity and methods of its measurement are not often covered in the literature.More often we speak about the ecological potential of mankind, country, region, etc. (Table 2).

Authors
Authors' point of view on the concept of ecological potential Lisichenok E.P. [4] Ecological potential of the region is a set of resources available for use in the region, as well as opportunities and conditions for their preservation and effective use

Sumarokova M.A., Pavlutskikh M.V., Pel'kov A.A.. [5]
Ecological potential is the suitability of the environment for human existence, the possibility of providing the population with the necessary food, labor conditions, recreation and medical treatment Borisova M.I.Vorontsova R.F. [6] Environmental potential is the sum of the enterprise's capabilities to ensure environmental safety at all production processes, where the main blocks are: safety, social responsibility, environmental protection.Shchemeleva E.V. [7] The environmental potential of an organization is related to the ability to ensure environmental safety of the production process while achieving the environmental goals of both the company and society as a whole.

Imamverdieva M.I. [8]
The environmental component of sustainable development is the formation of a sustainable enterprise environment, which eliminates the negative impact of the organization on the environment, and also implies the activation of a positive impact on the environment through safer, yet effective activities.
Taking into account all the above concepts and requirements of the modern stage of economic and social development, the ecological potential of an enterprise is those opportunities, resources and conditions that ensure the need and ability to rationally use natural resources with a simultaneous increase in the well-being of business and society of both present and future generations.It is about the creation of such a business ecosystem of the organization, i.e. "habitat" of people, in which ecological values are integrated and on this basis its members and subdivisions evolve together [9,10].
In the field of measuring ecological potential today there is no unified approach.This applies to the assessment factors, indicators, and assessment methods.
The approach to measuring and managing the potential depends on the interpretation of its essence.More often it is about the assessment of business impact on the environment, strategic environmental assessment, assessment of the environmental component of sustainable development, environmental sustainability and responsibility, and less often about those necessary conditions that should be provided at the enterprise to minimize environmental losses and find internal sources of sustainable development.
The paper investigates the methods of evaluation, to a greater or lesser extent responding to the evaluation of environmental potential, such as: methods of determining the integral assessment of environmental potential on the basis of a system of private indicators, methods of environmental management assessment based on ISO international standards, methods of strategic environmental assessment of projects (SEA), methods of project environmental impact assessment (EIA), rating assessments of the environmental component of sustainable development (ESGratings).
To obtain a quantitative assessment of the potential, as a rule, the method of comparative comprehensive assessment, the method of relative differences, the point method are used, as well as conducting surveys, discussions and determining expert assessments (Delphi method), ranking indicators and making attempts to find integral assessments.The authors make attempts to calculate the environmental component of sustainable development through indicators of energy intensity, concentration of pollutants, waste utilization; comparison of growth rates of enterprise performance in the field of costs aimed at environmental protection (EP) and rational use of natural resources; indicators of payment for negative environmental impact, etc. [8,11,12].Less frequently there are works on the inclusion in the evaluation of EM efficiency of the enterprise's contribution to changing the ratio of different types of used energy to minimize environmental impact; reduction of energy consumption by options for its more efficient use, etc.However, the existing approaches to assessing EM do not always characterize all the factors that need to be taken into account, and often lack systematicity.
The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that determine the environmental potential of the enterprise and to develop a framework for its assessment, taking into account the goals of sustainable development in the field of ecology and the recommendations of international standards ISO 14001, which determine the basic requirements for the organization of environmental management, necessary for certification of the environmental management system.

Results and discussions
In constructing a mechanism for assessing ecological potential, a number of steps need to be followed.First, all major environmental challenges and problems of the organization must be considered when assessing the level of EP.Thus, in the textile industry, as well as in a number of other industries, these are: wastewater treatment; creation of a recycling water supply system; cleaning of dust from the air of the working zone; ecological control of manufactured products at all stages of their life.The higher the level of solving the set tasks, the higher the level of ecological potential.Secondly, it is necessary to reveal the system-forming essence of the concept of "potential".Its key words: opportunities, conditions, resources, environment.All these characteristics reflect the factors influencing the formation and development of environmental potential.
Therefore, thirdly, it is necessary to define these factors.The etymology of the word "factor" suggests that it comes from the Latin factor "making, producing, creating".Consequently, the factors of the environmental potential of the enterprise are what makes it possible to realize responsible production and consumption.To determine the list of these factors, a systematic approach to the consideration of the organization's activities should be used.An organization as a system has an input, a process and an output.At the inputresources, in the process -their processing, at the output -results.Hence, based on the systematic consideration of the production process, the main factors determining the environmental potential should include: "green" raw materials and supplies, as well as their quality; eco-technologies and appropriate equipment ensuring an acceptable level of resource utilization, including waste reduction and recycling; environmentally friendly production environment -"green" workplaces; environmental policy and culture formed at the enterprise; environmentally friendly products; financing of environmental and health protection costs.Let us consider these factors in more detail.
The high quality of raw materials and materials reduces the consumption of resources in the production of products and the amount of waste, and environmentally friendly raw materials and materials contribute to the production of environmentally friendly products, reduce dirty waste and emissions into the environment, eliminate the negative impact on the health of personnel.The quality of raw materials and materials of the textile industry largely determines not only the quality of final products (human protection from the impact of dangerous and harmful factors in the use of these materials, such as allergies, toxicity, flammability, etc.), but also the environmental friendliness of its production (for example, the degree of dust particles emitted during the processing of raw materials and materials, the content of harmful impurities, the emission of gaseous substances with an unpleasant odor, etc.).
As noted by the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development, producers need to learn from the sustainability practices of their raw material suppliers in order to communicate them to consumers.In this regard, the higher the share of green raw materials and supplies in the total supply, the higher the environmental potential will be, which should be reflected in its assessment.
Eco-technologies or green technologies are technologies that do not harm the environment and humans.Here we are talking about lean production techniques, recycling technologies, refusal from operations and actions that do not increase the value of the output product (which reduces the cost of resources) [13].Thus, in accordance with the national project of the Russian Federation "Ecology" by 2030 up to 40% of raw materials should be recycled.
The cyclical economy should be widely developed in the future.However, fully "green" technologies are unlikely to exist, as well as environmentally friendly products.Therefore, in theory, it is believed that it is more correct to use the concept of "best available technologies" (BAT) and "environmentally preferable product".BAT refers to economically and technically feasible practices that solve environmental problems and achieve a high level of public health and environmental protection.The criteria for classification as BAT are, first of all, indicators of material and energy intensity, waste generation, emissions and discharges into the atmosphere and water environment.
An environmentally friendly production environment is a "green" workplace.All physical parts of the workplace, including the building, open spaces and infrastructure of the plant, which may in one way or another have an impact on the health of the workforce, are analyzed and evaluated.The design of industrial buildings and premises, streetscape, which refers to the aesthetic, physical and functional qualities of the created work environment; healthy behavior of employees, such as physical activity, creation of a tobacco-free work environment; identification of health risks and hazards in the workplace that can cause occupational diseases, etc. -all of these characterize the organization's ability to ensure its sustainable development and constitute its environmental potential.
It is not possible to achieve sustainable development goals without an established environmental policy, deep motivation and commitment of the company (its management, employees and other stakeholders) to the ideas of the concept of coevolution of nature and society.Rational use of resources and environmental protection should be considered as corporate values of the organization, its most important priorities.Commitment to environmental values, involvement of employees in the implementation of environmental policy of the organization are reflected in the environmental culture of the corporation, which is a powerful tool for the formation of responsible production and consumption.Mechanisms of the system of incentives, control and accounting of environmental activities, awareness of their results should be clearly developed and approved.In accordance with ISO-14001, the environmental policy should be stated, environmental objectives should be set and coordinated with the development strategy of the organization and the conditions in which it operates, and the requirements of the environmental management system should be integrated into the business processes of the organization.The organization's internal communications should actively work in this direction.
The role of awareness and involvement of employees in the implementation of environmental policy is great, because otherwise the set goals and objectives may remain unresolved [14].On the other hand, if there is no informing of the management by employees about possible environmental problems and consequences, the organization will not be able to continuously improve in the field of environmental management [15].Thus, taking into account ISO recommendations, a number of authors from the UK [16] suggest conducting an environmental management performance assessment (EMPA) by surveying employees.To identify areas for improvement, the results of the employee survey are compared with a developed flowchart for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental management systems.This comparison demonstrates the hazards and their consequences that can occur at different stages of the Deming cycle due to poor staff awareness, and thus determine the effectiveness of the EMS.The need to raise awareness of environmental hazards is also evidenced by studies conducted in industry by Swedish scientists [14].The more perfect the organizational mechanism of implementation, the higher the level of EP.
In recent years, such a concept as "ecodesign" of products has been increasingly considered, speaking of the need to reduce their negative impact on the environment throughout their life cycle.Consumer goods often have a negative impact on the environment not only in the process of their production, but also forming noise, thermal, electromagnetic pollution during storage, transportation, operation, consumption and disposal [17].Therefore, in the assessment of ecological potential it is necessary to determine the share of clean products in the total volume of manufactured products.However, the question of what to consider as environmentally friendly products is still debatable.Many authors believe that there cannot be a completely environmentally "clean" product, and in this regard it is preferable to use the concept of "environmentally preferable product", the criterion of which can be ecolabel or ecocertification -a sign issued by a specialized independent body after testing products for strict compliance with environmental criteria.
Speaking about the financing of environmental and health protection costs, it should be noted that their effectiveness is recommended to be defined in terms of: a) efficiency (achievement of environmental development goals); b) expediency (proportionality of environmental development goals with the real problems of the company and the problems of the region of its location); c) cost-effectiveness of environmental management.
So, all the above factors are the most significant in the aspect of environmental policy of the organization, and, therefore, should be reflected in the measurement of environmental potential.
All of them, as a rule, are complex and specific for a particular industry and profile of the organization's activities, and therefore, in each individual case should be specified.Therefore, in this article we talk about the framework approach to measuring environmental potential, the logical scheme of construction of which is presented in Figure 1.
Based on the presented construct, the following indicators can be proposed as private indicators for assessing the environmental potential of an enterprise: the share of supplies of "green" raw materials and supplies in the total volume of supplies; the share of products manufactured with the help of eco-technologies in the total volume of manufactured products; the level of organization of the working environment of the enterprise; availability of well-developed mechanisms for control and accounting of environmental activities, internal documents regulating quality standards and product safety, including systems of SEA and EIA indicators, indicators for incentivizing employees to achieve high results of the company's environmental policy, approved mechanism for hazard identification, assessment of the risk of accidents and incidents; the degree of personnel involvement in the implementation of the organization's environmental policy (the share of employees who took initiatives on cleaning and recycling, improvement of working conditions, modernization of equipment and improvement of technologies, etc.); the share of products in the production of which operations and actions that do not increase the value of the product (service provided) have been eliminated; the share of environmentally friendly products in the total volume of manufactured products; reduction of water, steam, energy consumption in relation to the cost of achieving the result in comparison with the best industry practices; reduction of polluted air emissions into the atmosphere in relation to the cost of achieving the result in comparison with the best industry practices; compliance of the actual amount of funds allocated by the organization for occupational health and safety with the need for them; etc.

Conclusions
To realize the goals of sustainable development it is necessary to effectively manage the environmental potential of economic entities, as they are mainly consumers of natural resources.Consequently, organizations should have appropriate tools and methods, one of which is the assessment of the level of environmental potential.Ecological potential is a complex concept, includes different areas of assessment, and is measured by a system of indicators, the formation of which should meet a number of requirements: to take into account the goals and objectives of environmental policy of organizations, to reflect the input, process and output characteristics of the production system in terms of its impact on the environment, to be able to obtain an integral assessment, in a complex characterizing the opportunities, resources and conditions for the formation of an environmentally friendly business environment and allowing to compare different production systems.
The proposed construct of environmental potential assessment is a framework approach to its measurement, allowing further research to refine indicators taking into account the specifics and profile of the organization's activities, to identify group indicators and to find an integral indicator.

Fig. 1 .
Fig.1.Logical framework for constructing the assessment of an organization's environmental potential Fourthly and finally, in order to ensure the proportionality of indicators in the assessment to derive an integral indicator of the environmental potential of the enterprise, one of the three methods listed below can be used to determine the relative level of the indicator: сomparison of indicator dynamics; comparison with the best industry practices; comparison with the maximum permissible value or with the standard.

Table 1 .
Main indicators characterizing the impact of business activities on environment [compiled by the author on the basis of Rosstat]