# The Use of Artificial Intelligence for Assessing the Pro-Environmental Practices of Companies
### Review of the Literature  
Environmental awareness is not only the responsibility of individuals, but also businesses. The growth of social environmental awareness and environmental organizations in the 1980s led to the origin of corporate social responsibility. The European Commission defines corporate social responsibility as the responsibility of enterprises for their impact on society [3]. Corporate social responsibility includes, without limitations, purposeful activity undertaken by enterprises to reduce their negative impact on the environment [3]. The results of the studies presented in the _Innovation and CRS at SMEs_ report [4], commissioned by the Innovation Development Agency, show that many businesses fail to realize what beneficial impact their activity could have on the environment if it was conducted on a large scale. Employees have little knowledge of environmental protection factors. They do not have the tools to incorporate good environmental practices into their business [1]. Many studies have been conducted to examine the environmental awareness present in enterprises. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [5] analyzed motivation and barriers in the implementation of eco-design in 77 SMEs in the Netherlands. [PERSON] et al. [6] examined eco-efficiency in 25 SMEs in Canada. [PERSON] et al. [7] examined the use of eco-efficiency strategies in 40 British businesses on the basis of Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) reports. NetRegs surveyed 5554 SMEs in Scotland by phone to examine their eco-minded practices [8; 9]. [PERSON] et al. [10] conducted research on environmental performance in 146 SMEs in Spain. [PERSON] et al. [9] studied eco-efficiency in SMEs in Venezuela. Being part of corporate social responsibility, environmental aspects are often addressed by the research as corporate social responsibility practices conducted by different enterprises (e.g., studies on the performance of SMEs in select countries of South America, [11]). An eco-minded approach has also been adopted in product design. [PERSON] et al. [12] analyzed the degree to which environmental aspects are taken into consideration in a concept design at two large enterprises. [PERSON] [13] examined environmental aspects at 96 businesses in Mexico. Most of the studies conducted on the environmental awareness of entrepreneurs address factors that generate environmental pollution and result directly from the operational activity of the enterprise, such as air pollution, dangerous waste, and energy consumption. The research discussed in this paper points to the fact that, apart from the above-mentioned factors, a business presenting great environmental awareness should consider the environmental impact of their products. Reports on the research conducted on the implementation of eco-design can be observed in the literature [14]. The paper referred to in the previous sentence discusses the research conducted in enterprises that have implemented eco-design, and it identifies the related challenges. Other publications in which the implementation of eco-design is examined include [PERSON] and [PERSON] [15], [PERSON] et al. [16],[PERSON] et al. [17], and [PERSON] et al. [18]. Many of these papers report single case studies or studies based on a small sample of firms (usually no more than three) implementing eco-design approaches. None of the above-mentioned studies address the environmental impact of the company's operational activity. The increasing demand for pro-environmental solutions in companies is the driving force behind the development of pro-environmental business solutions [19]. Enterprises face increasing demands from the modern economy concerning environmental protection. Seeking to meet these requirements, companies implement solutions that minimize their negative environmental impact. Pro-environmental behavior has attracted a considerable amount of attention in recent years. In order to build their image and competitive edge, companies often follow new trends [17; 20; 21].