Is your business missing out on the green revolution?
4 Apr, 2011
Carbon Trust launches guide to help small businesses tap into £112bn green goods and services market....
Small and medium-sized businesses are concerned that the move to a greener economy may pose more of a threat than an opportunity, the Carbon Trust has warned.
The organisation is concerned that this negative perception will see small businesses miss out on a market for green goods and services already valued at £112bn a year. As such, it has published a new guide to help smaller firms make the most of the low carbon transition.
The new Green your business for growth guide, released late last week, comes on the back of a survey by the Trust, which found that 52 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) thought a greener economy could damage their business, while only 29 per cent expected it to lead to greater profits.
More worryingly, almost half believed they have to invest more to tap into the benefits of green growth, but only 22 per cent are investing in greener products or services.
This tallies with recent research by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), which found that businesses were crying out for simpler and more effective green advice.
The free guide aims to change attitudes by telling companies how to identify green growth opportunities, develop a growth strategy, and increase their competitive advantage in the low-carbon market.
Tips on monitoring and targeting reductions in energy use and carbon emissions are included, and businesses can also find out how to lower the environmental impact of their products and operations.
"We want to help Britain's small firms to seize the opportunities presented by green growth through cutting costs or developing greener products and services. Businesses that do not embrace the green economy risk losing out," said Ian Gibson, director of delivery programmes at the Carbon Trust. "As larger firms look to reduce carbon in their supply chains, SMEs that don't act now could get cut out in favour of greener competitors."