The quality of the environment plays a significant role in supporting regional development. Whenever a region is viewed as the space it occupies, a clean environment is one of the fundamental conditions of the region’s competitiveness, including its environmental advantage. The environmental competitivenss can be analysed in terms of the natural conditions ocurring in a given region as well as their skillful transformation into social and economic effects, which will contribute to a more rapid development of this region. The main purpose of this study has been to identify the level of competitivenss and environmental competitiveness of regions (Polish provinces) by calculating values of the Perkal index, and to determine the correlation coefficients for the competitiveness and environmental competitiveness between the regions. The provinces in Poland distinguished by a positive and high value of the Perkal index are: mazowieckie, śląskie, wielkopolskie, followed subsequently by małopolskie, dolnośląskie and pomorskie. The regions which possess the highest environmental competitive advantage are: lubuskie, pomorskie, zachodniopomorskie and warmińsko-mazurskie. Negative correlation was determined between the indicators of competitiveness and environmental competitivenss achieved in our study. However, it is a weak correlation. Thus, there is no ground to worry that the economic development will lead to some considerable deterioration of the natural environment. On the contrary, positive effects of the growth in economy on the natural surroundings should not be neglected.
W artykule zaprezentowano teoretyczne podstawy koncepcji środowiskowej konkurencyjności regionów. Wskazano, że regiony słabiej rozwinięte znajdują się w posiadaniu bardzo cennego waloru, jakim jest relatywnie czyste środowisko naturalne. Środowisko naturalne może być tutaj rozpatrywane jako swoisty znak handlowy, który może decydować o rozwoju gospodarczym. To przyczynia się do wzrostu dobrobytu w regionach oraz wpływa na dalszą poprawę jakości środowiska. Podejmowanie aktywnych działań na rzecz ochrony środowiska sprzyja pogłębianiu tzw. "zielonej" specjalizacji regionów, a tym samym zwiększaniu ich konkurencyjności na szczeblu krajowym lub nawet międzynarodowym.
EN
This paper presents the theoretical basis for the conception of environmental competitiveness of regions. It was pointed out, that the less developed regions are in a possession of a very precious commodity, i.e. their natural environment. There are wide possibilities to use their natural environment as a trading mark and in this way to spur their economic development. This could both stimulate the economic prosperity of the regions and contribute to enhancing the quality and quantity of their natural environment; in order to sell a product one has to be sure that it is of the best quality. Taking better care of the natural environment would further contribute to deepening the regions' green specialization and enhancing their level of competitiveness on the national or even international scale. In fact, it is capable to use a new term for this idea - environmental competitiveness of regions.
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