The Environmental Protection and Effective Energy Consumption in the Light of the EFQM Model 2020—Case Study

Abstract

This research uses an inductive inference approach supported by a literature study and deductive reasoning supported by a case study method. This article is based on a comprehensive literature review which was a foundation for preparation a planned research in organizations implementing the EFQM 2020 Model in order to build a strategy for sustainable development and energy conservation. EFQM is an abbreviation for the name of the European Foundation for Quality Management, a member organization associating entities interested in building lasting value and respecting the ethical principles of running a business. EFQM is headquartered in Brussels, and the partners operate in dozens of countries around the world. The case study methodology is used to present a strategic approach to environmental protection and energy conservation in terms of the EFQM 2020 Model guidelines on the example of an international manufacturing company. The main area of activity is the automotive industry, which is positioned as an innovative leader. The assessment was performed in one of the departments specializing in safety elements—elements of the braking system in the car. This business unit has many plants with different locations around the world. The results of the research show that environmental protection and efficient energy consumption are an important element of the company’s strategy. These activities permeate all areas of activity and are reflected in the implementation of management systems and tools aimed at environmental protection. A detailed analysis of the criteria and guidelines of the EFQM 2020 Model showed that each criterion includes guidelines for environmental protection and energy saving measures. Based on the analysis of the researched organization, we can conclude that the conduct in accordance with the guidelines of the EFQM 2020 Model translates into the achievement of measurable, positive results, also in the environmental area, which was the axis of consideration.

1. Introduction

The concept of sustainability first appeared in the United Nations Brundtland Report in 1987, when the negative effects of globalization and economic development on the environment were noticed [1]. Until quite recently, activities related to sustainable development were perceived as not bringing significant added value to business entities [2]. As time passed, sustainable development and care for the economical use of energy utilities became increasingly important elements in the functioning of enterprises. Increasingly visible climate change creates an environment in which decision-makers must take into account not only economic results but also indicators related to safety, environmental impact or social responsibility. As Milán-García et al. [3] point out, sustainable development is a part of corporate social responsibility and must be translated into a management vision and strategic plan.

The main goal of this article is to present how these aspects are taken into account when building a company’s strategy. The toolkit used by enterprises includes many internationally recognized approaches, such as systems based on standardized requirements, e.g., ISO 14001 [4], which addresses environmental issues, ISO 26000 devoted to corporate social responsibility [5] or the EFQM 2020 model [6].

EFQM is an abbreviation for the name of the European Foundation for Quality Management, a member organization associating entities interested in building lasting value and respecting the ethical principles of running a business. EFQM is headquartered in Brussels, and the partners operate in dozens of countries around the world. The EFQM 2020 model is a tool that was created in response to current management challenges. It strongly addresses the need to integrate activities related to sustainable development into the activities of the company, both at the strategic and operational level. The EFQM model can be an important guide to creating, implementing and monitoring the company’s strategy in this area. The article shows an example of a mature organization that has experience in applying the model. This organization is aware of the challenges related to ecology and, due to its global range of activities, is aware of its impact on the environment. The topics of strategy development, implementation and monitoring in the area of environmental protection and energy conservation presented in the article may be an inspiration for other companies in the context of using the EFQM model for more effective operation.

In this publication, the authors decided to examine the relationship between the organization’s strategy and promoting the approach based on the concept of sustainable development, as well as to examine the possibility of using the approach described in the EFQM 2020 model for these activities. The aim of the article is to show the relationship between the strategy of environmental protection and energy conservation with the guidelines of the EFQM 2020 model and to illustrate it with an example of a leading manufacturing company operating on an international scale.

Three research questions were formulated:

• RQ1. Is environmental protection and effective energy consumption an important element of the corporate strategy?
• RQ2. Is the EFQM 2020 model a good tool for creating policies for environmental protection and effective energy consumption?
• RQ3. Does the operation in accordance with the EFQM 2020 model bring measurable benefits in terms of environmental protection and effective energy consumption?

The fact that the EFQM 2020 model is a new tool, in which the structure of the criteria has changed, but also the why–how–what philosophy [7] was adopted, indicates that the logic on the basis of which the EFQM 2020 model was designed has changed. It is interesting to explore whether business organizations can actually use the EFQM 2020 model to implement elements of strategies related to sustainable development.

A complete answer to the third research question would require extensive research. The situation, in which the EFQM 2020 model was announced just a few months before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, meant that many organizations using the EFQM model in its previous version did not update their management systems. This fact is confirmed by the changes and delays in the functioning of organization evaluations under the EFQM Global Award (the edition, which was supposed to end in autumn 2020, was postponed by more than half a year and carried out on the basis of remote evaluations, and the next one will take place in the summer months of 2022). In this situation, the research team decided to conduct a case study in an organization that uses an approach based on the EFQM 2020 model in its activities, although it has not yet passed the external evaluation and has not applied for recognition.

The article consists of a part devoted to presenting the theoretical background of activities related to sustainable development in the context of building an organization’s strategy and then presenting the issues of sustainable development in terms of the EFQM 2020 model. The next part contains the results of a case study conducted in an industrial enterprise. The final part of the work is devoted to the discussion of the results of the research and conclusions.

2. Materials and Methods

The literature review was performed through databases available in the collection of Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, especially Emerald, Sage Journals and Taylor Francis online. The search was conducted by using phrases: quality management, environmental management, sustainability, energy, EFQM, business excellence. The collection of articles was chosen on the basis of corresponding with research objectives of a publication title and the text of the abstract. For the purpose of the identification of the link between sustainability and the EFQM model, the internet platform of the European Foundation for Quality Management and the brochure of EFQM 2020 model was studied.

The empirical part of the research was conducted through the interviews with managers of a chosen company. Due to confidentiality reasons, the company name is not revealed and the name Company X is used. The main field of the company’s activities is located in the automotive industry, and the company holds the image of an innovative leader. The research was performed in one of the business units with a specialization in safety components—parts of the braking system in the car. In that business unit, there are 15 plants in different locations worldwide. From a product perspective, there are commodity products and new state of the art solutions that support electrical vehicles, which are delivered to various customers in different continents. Company X was chosen because of the use of EFQM-model-based approaches in the area of environmental management. Interviews with the company’s headquarters officers took place remotely with the use of Microsoft Teams software. In the part of the interview devoted to the topic of strategy, the respondents were three people from the department dealing with sustainable development of the entire division in the rank of expert. Subsequently, one plant (the average Y factory in Europe) was selected to show practical solutions and conduct an interview. For this task, two people were chosen in the selected factory Y—the director of plant Y and the head of the Health Safety Environment Department. The interviews were performed by one of the authors of this article.

During the interview, questions were asked according to the guidance points of the EFQM 2020 model. Respondents presented objective evidence of the implementation of sustainable development policies and activities that they implement at Company X. The expert from the headquarters presented an internal intranet site that contains examples of the implementation of sustainable development activities, corresponding with the EFQM 2020 model and part of the communication within the organization that takes place, presenting improvement projects and examples of “best practices”. During the research in the Y plant, ppt presentations about the projects containing internal examples and KPIs—indicators of process implementation—were studied. An extract from this data will be presented in the next part of the article.

The overall research process is shown in Figure 1.

3. Theoretical Background

3.1. Strategic Approach to Environmental Protection and Energy Conservation

For many years, the organization’s business logic for improving the environment was largely operational and technical. Few companies have incorporated sustainability into their strategic thinking to simultaneously develop and achieve sustainable production and consumption. A responsible environmental management system should begin with pollution prevention and then extend to environmental control and design [8]. The growing awareness about the responsibility for the global scale of environmental changes generated by individual human actions made organizations look for a development model that would ensure the achievement of the organization’s goals while limiting the damage caused to the environment. Sustainable development has, thus, become a response to the growing need for a new approach to environmental resources and their use for human and economic needs. The above-mentioned new approach should take into account the following development features [8,9,10]:

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immaterialization—qualitative growth, increasing the share of immaterial products in total production,

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dematerialization—eco-efficiency, ensuring separation between environmental damage and material production,

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decarbonization—decoupling the relationship between economic growth and the growth of CO₂ production,

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decoupling—decoupling the relationship between economic growth and the growth of transportation needs.

This approach forces the organization to strategically plan its activities. These activities will focus on minimizing the costs that arise as a result of using the environment to cover the demand for raw materials and taking into account the use of measures that cause environmental burdens [11,12]. Investing in environmental protection projects leads to significant savings in material resources and, thus, cost reductions. Environmental protection, as a determinant of the organization’s goal and its consolidation in the guidelines for managing it, increases the credibility of the environmental-oriented business management concept.

Such activities are the basis for creating the foundation that environmental protection is understood as an expression of responsibility towards society and as an expression of the organization’s integration with this society. The company’s strategy should be built on the basis of such assumptions as [13]:

• development of a comprehensive concept of environmental protection,
• sustainable assessment of the past from the point of view of ecology and economy,
• economical use of raw materials and materials,
• search for environmentally friendly products and production processes.

The formulation of the strategy is an important integration element for people [14] and widely understood stakeholders. It makes it possible to plan a wide horizon of future activities without going into details of the concept of environmental protection at this level. However, this policy must be modified on an ongoing basis and adapted to the objectively changing conditions [15] and trends.

An important element in building the organization’s strategy in the field of environmental protection and energy conservation is also the analysis of the competitive environment [16] and the process of shaping of customer needs. The environmental awareness of customers defines their priorities, which management should recognize and define. The literature defines the success factors of environment-oriented management. They include [14,15,17]:

• Environmental protection as one of the main goals of the organization.
• Provided support and participation of the management of the enterprise.
• A reliable, competent problem solving system.
• The incorporation of environmental protection into the current corporate policy.
• The development of staff skills and competences to support the process.

Environment-oriented organizational development takes place in several phases and includes stages such as analysis, conception, implementation and control, but also psychological aspects [18,19], as well as the motivation of people. Such an approach needs motivated and competent co-workers who are able to present, motivate and implement their ideas with their own responsibility. Employee involvement is necessary so that the change in the approach to environmental protection does not become a one-time action but a continuous process, bringing the organization tangible optimization and financial results.

A striking feature of environmental management is that the inclusion of people decisively contributes to success. It affects all cells and departments in the organization. Once this concept is implemented in the enterprise, it activates processes that are important not only for the protection of the environment but also for the entire organization. It requires the management to change the management style, openness to innovations, and to use shorter paths for the course of decisions, which gives it a different quality [20]. Analyzing the literature [15,17,21,22,23], it can be stated that the orientation towards environmental protection is becoming a new style of management optimization, which requires the use of appropriate methods and structures of thinking. It becomes crucial to take into account the economic and technical, as well as psychological aspects of the organization’s operation. The benefits that an organization can achieve from the implementation of an environmental management system [1,14,24] are:

• increasing the company’s competitiveness—a better image for the company in the eyes of potential customers and investors;
• improving the image of the organization as socially responsible;
• making the order with the formal and legal status—compliance or greater probability of compliance with legal requirements;
• reduction in pollution and waste generation;
• reduction in waste disposal costs, energy costs and environmental fees;
• better cooperation and relations with society, authorities and control units;
• emphasis on prevention rather than corrective action reduces the environmental risk.

The basic stage of the strategy implementation is, therefore, building an environment-oriented concept that permeates all areas of the organization, i.e.,: from organizational culture through quality management and research and development to employee motivation and evaluation systems [14]. This approach enforces an open information policy that will build trust and commitment to the implementation of the new strategy. An environmentally oriented enterprise should, when engaging employees, pay attention to whether, apart from professional qualifications, they also have knowledge about environmental protection [13]. Knowledge in this area strengthens employees’ readiness to identify with the organization and releases their potential and taking responsibility for actions [23].

3.2. The Relation between Quality Management and Environmental Management

Although one can find disputes about the real value that is brought to organization by the standardized management systems, there are research papers that shows the high level of acceptance of such systems [25]. Mainstream scientific and practical literature emphasizes that management principles, models and practices contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. More specifically, the impact of adopting management practices related to the quality management (QM) paradigm—such as business excellence models [22] (e.g., the EFQM self-assessment model or the Deming Award model) or meta-standards (e.g., ISO 9001)—and their potential positive impact on improving the company’s environmental management (EM) and on sustainable development (e.g., improving the company’s environmental performance) were identified in the literature. In Poland, in the years 2012–2013, research was carried out in which attempts were made to determine whether an organization that cares about quality is also a socially and ecologically responsible entity, or whether these two factors that coexist together create a positive image of the company in the eyes of the local community [26].

Research has shown that there is no clear relationship between carrying out or not carrying out pro-environmental activities and quality management. Whether enterprises actively participate in such activities is not determined by the level of qualitative maturity of the organization but only by its specificity. It depends on the company’s policy rather than on the staff’s belief in the usefulness of such actions. It can be noticed that many more aspects related to the improvement of the organization in terms of quality are related to the analyzed activities. However, it may be the result of the dependence of the studied variables on the size or form of financing enterprises rather than the actual impact. In summation, it can be stated,, that the requirements of ISO standards, being one of the elements correlated with quality, are not sufficient to meet all the requirements of sustainable development [26].

Similar conclusions were reached by the authors of the studies [27,28,29,30,31], as indicated in the literature review by Allur et al. [27]. A negative relationship was demonstrated between quality management and environmental management. These studies suggested that quality management tools and methodologies—especially those from ISO 9001—tend to increase the formalization and systematization of processes, making it difficult to implement environmental management activities such as: green innovation, as they increase bureaucracy and excessive formalization, hindering the creativity of the organization [32]. In the same vein, Li et al. [33] conducted an empirical analysis of the impact of quality management on aspects related to environmental management innovation. Based on a sample of 407 Chinese companies in 2008–2014, the authors Li et al. [33] found that quality management correlated negatively with environmental management innovation, although environmental regulation itself significantly mitigated the impact.

The second group of research works identified by Allur et al. [27] suggested a positive relationship between quality management and environmental management. A study in Brazil and Vietnam found that, first, QM is an important predecessor to an organization’s EM maturity, and second, that quality management has a positive impact on environmental performance. These authors identified four quality management practices that have a significant positive impact on EM and sustainability: senior management support, the design process, data quality and reporting, and continual improvement. There are also studies by Wiengarten and Pagell [34] that have analyzed the interactions between QM and EM practices with regard to operational efficiency. The conclusions of the research are that QM practices such as ISO 9001, SPC and TQM can improve the performance of EM practices such as adopting ISO 14001, pollution prevention, material recycling and waste reduction. The importance of the ISO 9001 standard is related to the process control, which in turn translates into more effective environmental management. Hence, it can be concluded that a well-functioning QM system may be a prerequisite for the successful implementation of EM practices.

The business excellence models are shown as a step forward from the level of an organization with a certified management system to the entity that truly lives the quality management principles and values. Thus, business excellence models are often recommended for organizations that already achieved success in the area of quality management at the stage when passing third party audits becomes rather a routine than a big challenge. In the next subchapter, the EFQM 2020 model will be presented with special attention paid to environmental and sustainability aspects.

3.3. Environmental Management and Sustainability Topics in EFQM Model 2020

Sustainable development issues are the foundation of the EFQM 2020 model. The authors of the model directly refer to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of Global Compact, which reflect the care for the environment and social responsibility [22]. For a better understanding of how the EFQM model is constructed, it is presented in Figure 2.

In the area of direction, one can find criterion 1: Purpose, Vision and Strategy, which contains statements concerning building sustained value and setting the scene for creation and delivery of sustained vale for stakeholders. The direct reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Global compact ambitions is made in criterion part 1.3: Understanding the Ecosystem, Own Capabilities, and Major Challenges—the model provides guidance that two mentioned concepts (UN SDGs and Global Compact) should be analyzed and their impact on organization should be researched. The aspect of meeting legal and regulatory requirements is mentioned in the last guidance point of criterion part 1.5: Design and Implement a Governance and Performance Management System. Although no other guidance point in criterion 1 contains wording related directly to sustainability, one can easily find the connections in other criterion subsections (for example, in 1.1: Define Purpose and Vision, where it is stated that the purpose of the organization should be acknowledged as a force for good in the ecosystem,). Criterion 2: Organisational Culture and Leadership, is far richer in terms of direct statements related to sustainability. In criterion part 2.1: Steer the Organisation’s Culture and Nurture Values, one can find guidance that the organization should express and promote concern for the environment and scarcity of resources and should also raise the awareness of the importance of adopting a responsible approach to environment.

The area of execution is built on three criteria. In criterion 3: Engaging Stakeholders, there are five criterion subsections devoted to different groups of stakeholders. Criterion part 3.4: Society—Contribute to Development, Well Being and Prosperity, directly refers to the topic of the environment and specifies how actions of the organization may work for the good of communities and the society. In criterion 4: Creating Sustainable Value, one can find criterion part 4.3: Deliver the Value, where the third guidance point is about the delivery of products, services and solutions in a way that minimizes negative social and environmental impact. In criterion 5: Driving Performance and Transformation, and namely, in criterion part 5.3: Drive Innovation and Utilise Technology, and criterion part 5.5: Manage Assets and Resources, the concept of circular economy is mentioned.

The last is an area of results with two criteria, referring to perception measures and indicators showing the level of organization’s performance. In criterion 6: Stakeholder perceptions, the introduction refers to stakeholders’ perceptions of how the organization contributes to UN SDGs or Global Compact Ambitions. The social and environmental responsibility are the topics mentioned in criterion part: Business and Governing Stakeholders Perception Results. Additionally in criterion part: Society Perception Results, and criterion part: Partners and Suppliers Perception Results, the circular economy is highlighted. In criterion 7: Strategic and Operational Performance, there are no direct remarks about environmental issues or sustainability. However, because of the fact that this criterion refers to the Purpose, Vision and Strategy, the examples of results connected with statements in strategic documents reflecting environmental objectives or sustainability actions can be found [6].

The environmental and sustainability topics are present in the text of the EFQM 2020 model. It is worth noticing that much research regarding previous versions of the EFQM model and its connections with environmental management and social responsibility was conducted. For example, Tari [35] and Molina-Azorin [23] researched the integration of a quality management system and an environmental management system and the role of the EFQM model as a bridge to implement a quality-environmental management system. According to Duarte and Cruz-Machado [36], the business excellence models can serve as a framework for introducing “lean and green” culture. Asif et al. [37] provide discussion of the presence of the sustainability concept in the EFQM 2013 model. Westlund A.H. [38] provided a concept of EFQM model use for the purpose of measuring the environmental impact on society. Turisova et al. [39] researched the EFQM model as a tool for measuring readiness and sustainability when introducing concepts of Industry 4.0. The same concept was studied by Martusewicz et al., who discuss the level of usage of the EFQM RADAR for assessing the processes of I4.0 implementations. The same approach can be applied to sustainability initiatives [40,41]. The statement that the EFQM 2020 model is framed with a strategic dimension encompassing major global trends such as Sustainability was said by Fonseca [42]. To sum up the discussion provided above, it is clear that the EFQM model can be used as a management tool for enhancing actions and achieving results in the scope of environmental and sustainability initiatives in organizations. The next part of the paper will be dedicated to the presentation of the case study, which reflects the use of an approach inspired by the EFQM 2020 model for energy saving and environmental actions.

4. Using the EFQM 2020 Approach to Building and Implementing a Strategy—Case Study—Company X

The content of this chapter contains the review of a strategic approach to environmental protection and energy conservation in view of the EFQM model guidelines based on the example from an international manufacturing company.

The text is composed in a way that combines guidance provided by the EFQM 2020 model with research outcomes about actions and documents from Company X. The idea of the case study is to provide information on how EFQM 2020 model guidance points were translated into actions in the business entity.

In criterion part 1.3: Understanding the Ecosystem, Own Capabilities and Major Challenges, the EFQM 2020 model states that an outstanding organization researches and understands its ecosystem, including megatrends and the consequences of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Global Compact ambitions. The guidance strictly connected to the aforementioned criterion part is a remark that an outstanding organization assesses and values knowledge, data and information gathered from across the ecosystem to understand major current and future challenges. The document on the sustainability strategy of Company X and the target vision were analyzed. The vision and missions statements were presented. It is stated that: “… By acting in an economically, environmentally and socially responsible manner, we want to improve people’s quality of life and safeguard the livelihoods of present and future generations. Our “New Dimensions –Sustainability 2025” target vision describes six fundamental dimensions, each of which is specified and further developed based on two major aspects…”. The target vision in six dimensions is presented in

Table 1. The target vision of Company X in six dimensions.

Dimension	Scope	Description
Climate	1. CO2 scope 1 and 2. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from company-owned and controlled resources, in other words, emissions released to the atmosphere as a direct result of a set of activities, at a firm level. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy from a utility provider, in other words, all GHG emissions released in the atmosphere, from the consumption of purchased electricity, steam, heat and cooling. https://plana.earth/academy/what-are-scope-1-2-3-emissions/ (accessed on 28 September 2021) 2. CO2 scope 3. Scope 3 emissions are all indirect emissions—not included in scope 2—that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions, in other words, emissions that are linked to the company’s operations. https://plana.earth/academy/what-are-scope-1-2-3-emissions/ (accessed on 28 September 2021)	Company X is a climate action pioneer, and its business operations have been climate neutral (scopes 1 and 2) since 2020. Along the entire value chain, Company X contributes its knowledge and technologies, multiplying the influence it has on the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (scope 3)
Health	1. Occupational health and safety 2. Substances of concern	Company X contributes to human health with innovative products and services and by ensuring that its production processes do not harm people and the environment
Globalization	3. Responsibility 4. Human rights	Company X takes on responsibility and is sensitive to human rights being respected—along the entire value chain.
Energy	1. Energy efficiency 2. Renewable energy	Company X encourages the expansion of renewables and strives continuously for energy efficiency—from development to manufacturing to the finished product.
Water	1. Water scarcity 2. Water quality	For Company X, water is a resource to be treated sparingly. Regions in which water is scarce are a special concern.
Urbanization	1. Resource efficiency 2. Digitalization	Company X wants to minimize its ecological foot print and strives to create social benefit. In this endeavor, Company X puts its faith in the principles of the circular economy and the opportunities presented by digitalization.

Source: Own work based on Company X internal materials.

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The direct links between the Company X vision and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals can be identified. For example the dimension “Water” is related to SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation; the dimension climate is linked with SDG 13: Climate action, but one easily find links with SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy. The last-mentioned SDG 13: Climate action is an obvious foundation for the vision dimension energy. The links with Global Compact principles can be easily found in vision dimensions health and globalization. The conclusion can be made that the Company X “New Dimensions—Sustainability 2025” document reflects the EFQM 2020 model guidance points.

In the area of direction, criterion 2: Organizational Culture and Leadership, specifically in criterion part 2.1: Drive Organizational Culture and Nurture Values, it is advised that an outstanding organization expresses and promotes concern for the natural environment and resource scarcity, raising awareness of the importance of a responsible approach to the environment. A very good example of how this guidance is translated into action in Company X can be observed in Figure 3, which presents the visualization of leadership.

Another important point is presented in the policy deployment document from 17th Dec 2020. This document contains a list of targets for manufacturing plants. In the main part of the policy deployment document and attachments, one can find a consolidation of general targets that are relevant for all sites in order to support Company X’s business success. The extract from that document shows the right approach can be easily linked to EFQM 2020 model criteria, because one of the targets is expressed in a following way: “Achieve sustainable environmental protection and work safety on benchmark level to provide a strong basis for our business processes. Build a powerful improvement system to drive performance in our value streams and as well in indirect areas. Consequently utilize digital solutions to open up additional improvement potentials for production, logistics and indirect processes. Implement performance measures to realize benchmark target structures in all functions. Make consequent use of lean management and support the teams to realize efficiency increases…”. This part reflects guidance points from areas direction and results of the EFQM 2020 model. One of the supporting documents is a target setting for energy efficiency for the year 2021, which is presented in Figure 4.

Another inspiration taken form the EFQM 2020 model can be observed in an approach that shows links between the Company X vision and mission. Although Company X uses a more traditional way of expressing the essence of why the company operates in the market and uses “the mission”, one can easily find the reflection of the EFQM 2020 model purpose in these documents. Similarly to the approach presented in Figure 3 where the “why–how–what” logic is visible, the way from vision to mission is also presented according to this fundamental logic from the EFQM 2020 model. It is presented in

Table 2. From the Company X vision to its mission.

Why	How	What	Who
In Company X, we also take care of further aspects of life, which include sustainability, personal growth, social responsibilities and more.	We live the “We lead Company X.“ principles to keep our strong safety culture and to built-up a positive sustainability culture. Our leadership and commitment are strong enablers for sustainability.	Sustainability is part of our Company X business strategy and our policy deployment. We intensify communication and environmental digitalization to strengthen transparency and good practice sharing.	Sustainability is our joint task across the organization, in all functions and for all of our employees worldwide and beyond. We take ownership and are strongly supported by our board of management.

Source: Own work based on Company X internal materials.

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The next area after direction in the EFQM 2020 model is execution, where in criterion 3: Stakeholder engagement, it is stated that an outstanding organization works with its key stakeholders to collectively understand, be inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Compact’s ambitions and focus on activities contributing to their achievement. There is a criterion part 3.4: Society: Contribute to Development, Well-being and Prosperity, which, namely, addresses the actions affecting people or groups outside the organization that represent the immediate community or the wider public, including, for example, interest groups focusing on issues such as the environment. Company X stands for safety, both with regard to products and the working environment. Safety has the same priority as quality, delivery and costs. The management team shapes a positive safety culture, based on strengthening the self-responsibility of associates in line with the principles of leading oneself and leading others. Concerning the environment, Company X is taking responsibility for it and acting accordingly. Innovative and ecofriendly products minimize the impact on the environment through significant CO₂ and fine dust reduction. Company X declares that together with stakeholders it uses resources sustainably by maximizing energy efficiency, conserving water and reducing waste. Company X made clusters of actions and projects that represent environmental and work safety initiatives—see in

Table 3. Clusters of actions and projects addressing environmental and work safety initiatives.

Work Safety
Electrical Safety	Application Vehicle test driving	Cleanness
Manuel operations	Hazardous Substances	Equipment
Mental health	Traffic Pathway	Contractor
Environmental
Design for Environment (DfE)	Use of energy	Waste
Use of water	Logistics	Nature protection
Emissions (substances)	Soil pollution	Hazardous substances/ goods
Noise emission	Contractors	Additional local aspects

Source: Own work based on company materials.

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The area of results in the EFQM 2020 model addresses the topics of perception by stakeholders and the measures that are used to compare the performance of the organization with the targets originating from the strategy. The stakeholders’ perception results were not presented during the research. The respondents declared that Company X is a leader in decarbonization initiatives and minimizing the CO₂ footprint, but there were no data available regarding the stakeholders’ perception.

To review the results and details of sustainability initiatives Company X implemented the sustainability call. The main aim of this management practice is to discuss a presentation from the plant manager or person responsible for the site within the time limit of max 20 min. The content of the presentation is focused on the implementation of a sustainability culture, and it is not intended to have a review character. The idea was to engage managers to show 5–6 freely designed Power Point slides addressing the following topics:

• the explanations and illustrations as well as implementation of the Sustainability Culture Guiding Questions,
• presentation how to move from the safety culture to a sustainability culture,
• answer for questions: Why, how, what, with examples,
• presentation of the key success factors for introducing a sustainability culture,
• answer for the question how the plant manager motivates and engage employees to establish a sustainability culture in a certain location,
• answers for the question concerning the good practices that can be shared in the whole organization,
• use of “Sustainability Culture KISS” for a summary of presentation.

The example of KISS (keep, improve, start, stop) summary is shown in Figure 5.

The next point for the requested mandatory slides that should be shown in 2–3 further slides (they can be freely designed) is showing good practices for cultural and resource saving projects (e.g., for safety, waste, water, energy). The real examples are presented in the next figures. The first one is a cockpit chart of sustainability actions, which is presented in Figure 5. It contains eight areas for key performance indicator (KPI) monitoring. The topics included in the slides areI accident rate, near miss (potential accidents), energy consumption, sustainability incident investigation in use, reduction in water, reduction in waste, electrical safety and HSE topics in use. The idea of traffic lights is also used: red color stands for the statement that the target is exceeded—cannot be reached by the end of the year, yellow color—target can be reached by end of year and green color—target in line (see Figure 6).

Detailed graphs of environmental key performance indicators are shown on graphs in Figure 7. On the graphs, one can see progress with business plan values (BP), current forecast (CF) and actual results year to day (YTD). There is continuous improvement in water consumption, which can be understood as a positive trend. According to hazardous waste reduction, after a big step forward in years 2019/2020, stabilization is expected in 2021. Similar conclusions can be drawn for energy consumption and CO₂ reduction.

The examples presented above prove that the EFQM 2020 model criteria and guidance points are taken into consideration in Company X, and one can observe proper understanding of sustainable development in manufacturing organization. During interviews with managers, it was highlighted that the approach from the EFQM model was used in the past with positive results and successfully guided the organization to carbon neutrality.

5. Discussion

The EFQM 2020 model was built on the basis of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Compact ambitions. The authors set themselves the goal of showing how a strategy for environmental protection and energy conservation can be based on the EFQM 2020 model guidelines and to illustrate this with an example from a leading manufacturing company operating on an international scale. The researched organization proved that the EFQM 2020 model was used in the phase of sustainability strategy preparation and is being used for monitoring of implementation initiatives and achieved results.

It seems that this case of using the EFQM 2020 model to build a policy of energy conservation and sustainable development stands in contradiction to the claims resulting from research [28,29,30,31] about too much formalization and systematization of processes. No remark stated that there is too much bureaucratic work needed. The implementation of initiatives is supported by effective and efficient communication channels, and gathering results is automated within the Company X IT systems. On the other hand, it confirms the claim of Allur et al. [27] about the positive relationship between models based on the concepts of quality management and the results of the sustainable development policy. When analyzing the assumptions in building the energy conservation strategy, as well as the assumptions and construction in the EFQM 2020 model, a positive correlation between them is visible, which translates into measurable benefits for the organization also in the field of environmental protection.

A significant limitation of the research at this stage is the low level of knowledge concerning the new EFQM 2020 model among the management of the researched organization.

6. Conclusions and Outlook

Building a strategy for environmental protection and energy conservation must be based on the understanding of the cause-and-effect relationships between the determined course of action and the way in which these activities are carried out and the results achieved. Such possibilities are provided by the EFQM 2020 model. It is assumed that each organization using the model will respect the assumptions included in the documents of The United Nations Global Compact and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

The described case shows the activities of a company that knows and understands the principles of the EFQM 2020 model. The organization operates on the basis of simple assumptions, which are: outlining the direction of action by defining a strategy and building an organizational culture focused on caring for the natural environment. In line with the principles of environmental protection, it designs, creates and delivers value to users in a way that minimizes negative impact. The results achieved by organizations are built on the basis of reputation through the durability of the effects of activities for the community, customers and business stakeholders in the economic, social and environmental terms.

Taking into account the obvious limitations coming from the scope of the literature review and the specific features of case study research, it may be stated that answers for all three research questions are positive. The RQ1.: “Is environmental protection and effective energy consumption an important element of the corporate strategy?” was discussed in Section 3.1 and Section 3.2. The conducted literature research shows that enterprises include activities related to environmental protection and energy conservation in their strategy. These activities permeate all areas of the company’s operations and are often reflected in the implementation of management systems or tools aimed at environmental protection. The key addressee of this bundle of strategic activities is the company’s staff, who must be aware of and involved in pro-ecological activities.

The RQ2.: “Is the EFQM 2020 model a good tool for creating policies for environmental protection and effective energy consumption?” is a subject of Section 3.3. The EFQM 2020 model is a strategic enterprise management tool in which one can find guidelines for actions for environmental protection and energy conservation. A detailed analysis of the model criteria indicated that practically each of the seven criteria contains references to the above-mentioned area of issues. On this basis, we can conclude that the EFQM 2020 model is a tool that can be used to create, implement and monitor strategies in the area of pro-ecological activities.

Finally the RQ3.: “Does the operation in accordance with the EFQM 2020 model bring measurable benefits in terms of environmental protection and effective energy consumption?” is a subject of consideration in subchapter 4. In the part of the article devoted to the presentation of the results of empirical research, examples concerning the monitoring of KPIs in the area of environmental protection and energy conservation were included (Figure 6 and Figure 7). The set of indicators that relates to the most important aspects of the strategy of the analyzed company is shown in Figure 7. The analysis of data for 2019, 2020 and partly for 2021 shows that the company achieved better and better results in the area of water consumption and hazardous waste generation. The higher energy consumption and CO₂ reduction values planned for 2021 may be surprising. The values of indicators are influenced by the fact of the increased planned production in 2021 compared to 2020. We are aware that the factor that strongly distorts the analysis is the COVID-19 pandemic, which had an impact on the company’s production activities in 2020 and partially in 2021. Nevertheless, based on the collected data, we can conclude that the surveyed company has a set of tools for effectively monitoring environmental protection and energy consumption indicators.

The presented research is an introduction to future quantitative research on a wide group of enterprises, both working with the EFQM model and not using this model. This research contributes to the strategic and environmental management literature and has some practical management implications for policy makers. The model outlined in this article is important as it provides an opportunity to fill the gap in understanding how organizations can successfully develop their environmental and energy conservation programs while avoiding significant problems.

In our opinion, our scientific contribution is to show the use of the EFQM 2020 model to build, implement and monitor the company’s strategy in the field of environmental protection and energy conservation. The selected example of an enterprise may inspire other organizations looking for a framework for their strategic activities in the area of sustainable development. At the same time, it can also inspire scientists to research how the use of the EFQM 2020 model and possibly other management tools can translate into activities in the area of environmental protection and energy conservation. In our opinion, a very interesting research area would be the use of RADAR (Results-Approaches-Deploy-Assess-Refine) logic. RADAR is built into the EFQM 2020 model, a very detailed tool that shows how to build an improvement cycle. Finding answers to which elements of RADAR hides the greatest added value for the organization is, in our opinion, an ambitious and interesting research challenge.