The new managerial challenge: Transforming environmental and health issues to competitive advantages

The major aim of the paper is to investigate how environmental ("green") factors may influence on international business activities and the competitiveness of firms. The paper suggests that an environmental performance lower than the industry average would represent a risk for the firm, while a performance above the industry average could result in increased cost and/or increased competitiveness. Further, it is suggested that the average environmental performance in most industries will improve, due to a situation where most firms attempt to perform better than or equal to their industry's average levels. The author present twelve specific recommendations for managers, aimed at improving firm competitiveness in international markets.