Sustainable development as a challenge for modern organizations – students’ opinions and attitudes

Purpose: Nowadays environmental education associated with sustainable development presents a critical social challenge. The objective of this study was to identify and assess the interest in sustainable development, along with initiatives undertaken in this respect, by the students of selected university courses. The sample consisted of the students of management, who, due to the specific character of their education, will prospectively manage organizations or become entrepreneurs, i.e. will become responsible for setting the trends for the development of organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The subject matter of the present study pertains to environment-friendly attitudes of the students of selected universities in Lublin. The study was conducted by means of a diagnostic poll which was developed on the basis of the review of literature. Findings: The analysis of the results of the study revealed that respondents’ awareness regarding the impact of individuals upon the environment is strong. However, certain shortages were observed with regard to the impact of enterprises upon the natural environment. Research limitations/implications: It seems advisable to conduct this research also with students from other faculties. Practical implications: It seems advisable to commence environmental education during undergraduate studies so that students recognize the impact of enterprises upon the natural environment as early as possible. Originality/value: The article contains new research results about environmental education associated with sustainable development, which were conducted based on the self-developed questionnaire