ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING AND COMPETENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN BRAZILIAN CHEMICAL COMPANIES

Abstract

In this article, the aim was to analyze how environmental training can help generate individual and organizational competences in companies in the Brazilian chemical sector. This study is justified by the need to conduct more in-depth studies on the role of environmental training to generate competences in the Brazilian chemical sector's environmental dimension. This is important because, in 2016, this sector was third place in the development of Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its production has led to debates over the environmental risks caused by its products and processes. The qualitative research approach was used, with multiple case studies based on the triangulation of sources of evidence. The results confirmed that: 1) systematized environmental training potentiates the development of individual competences required for the sustainability of Brazilian chemical sector companies, considering that the focus of environmental training is to stimulate and develop individual competences aligned with organizational strategy by identifying competence gaps; 2) recognizing core individual competences helps identify important organizational competences for the sustainability of Brazilian chemical sector companies; and 3) developing core individual competences helps create important organizational competences for the sustainability of chemical sector companies. The value of the paper is given by proposing of a model describing the role of environmental training supported by a formal and informal context to develop individual competences for environmental sustainability, mutually related to organizational eco-innovation, eco-efficiency, environmental justice and social justice competences, thus characterizing the development of sustainability in organizations and chemical industries.