Private sectors' impacts on environmental sustainability in developing countries : a case study on manufacturing companies in Rwanda & Gambia

Abstract: There is a common consensus that anthropogenic activities have remarkable impacts on environmental sustainability with significant consequences on global warming and climate change. Due to the little research on the private-sector impact on environmental sustainability in developing countries more specifically on private sector manufacturing companies’ engagement in environmental risk mitigation, it is in this framework we conducted this study with the aim to investigate how these companies implement the sustainability practices in their daily business operations and the challenges they face.  This paper used a qualitative method of research through interviews and also reviewed  existing empirical literature on environmental sustainability on the basis that a conceptualization framework  was developed and used during the interview process. The main findings indicated that the companies under this study implement the environmental sustainability practices by means of soft measures, formal systems, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in combination with  management models, specific industry standards, and operation-related environmental tools. The significant challenges that the companies faced when trying to be environmentally sustainable were lack of human and technical skills, related investment cost and budget, stakeholders’ resistance to change, compliance monitoring gap, regulatory inconsistency, and stakeholders’ environmental performance requirements. Generally, the implementation of environmental sustainability practices was found to be beneficial to the companies and their ecosystem (Nature and people). The results of this research are particularly important to all stakeholders with an interest in green operations, manufacturing companies’ management, future researchers, and society at large. The authors ended up by suggesting further research in the environmental field