Britain's SMEs have a good understanding of key climate change terms such as carbon footprint, carbon neutral and carbon offsetting, but only around one in six has so far assessed its own carbon footprint. While many blame a lack of understanding for not having acted more quickly, some 40 per cent of those who say they intend to measure their carbon footprint, plan to do so within the next six months. None say they would leave it longer than two years before they measure theirs.

These were among the findings of the SME Climate Change Survey, an independent research study commissioned by the Recycling and Waste Management exhibition.
Conducted by Explomarket, the study found that Britain's SMEs are taking the subject of climate change very seriously and while not all are necessarily fully aware of current legislative requirements, most are active recyclers. Among small companies (10-49 employees), however, only one in 10 has produced a carbon footprint compared with more than a quarter of medium sized companies (50-250 employees), suggesting that it is the smallest companies that still have the most to do to address climate change.

Commenting on the SME Climate Change Survey, Paul Sanderson, editor of Materials
Recycling Week, said: "Among the more frequently-mentioned reasons for not having a plan to reduce carbon emissions are that SMEs regard it as irrelevant to their business strategy (34 per cent) and just as worryingly because of a lack of information and understanding on their part (28 per cent). Clearly, companies of all sizes need to be better informed about carbon emissions and about the benefits to them and the country of having a sound policy in this area."
"While more than one in six (17 per cent) respondents said lack of time was the main reason for not producing a plan to cut their company's carbon emissions, they do recognise that attending events, like the Recycling and Waste Management exhibition, can be a very time-efficient way to get the advice they need. After the internet (88 per cent) and Environment Agency (60 per cent), SMEs ranked business events (42 per cent) and the media (40 per cent) as the most popular means of accessing carbon emissions advice."
Envirowise, a Government-funded programme dedicated to putting the sustainable use of resources into UK business practice, is sponsoring a specialist seminar programme entitled "Talking Climate Change" which is free to all RWM 07 visitors for the duration of the show (11-13 September). Sessions will include case studies from businesses implementing climate change initiatives and advice on how to produce a carbon foot print and develop a climate change strategy.
The SME Climate Change Survey also revealed that almost nine in 10 SMEs
currently have plans to reduce waste (86 per cent) and to recycle more (88 per cent), while nearly three quarters (73 per cent) plan to cut energy use. However, only 42 per cent have a plan to cut transport emissions, and the proportion that plan to use a carbon
offsetting scheme is the smallest at 15 per cent.

The commonest reason for not recycling, cited by some 58 per cent of respondents, is lack of local facilities services, but 45 per cent also mentioned a lack of information or understanding as a factor, with nearly one in five (19 per cent) saying this was the most important reason.

Finally, when asked if businesses should be taxed according to their carbon emissions, more than half (54 per cent) of SMEs over all and some 63 per cent of medium-sized companies agreed.

Archive index | Front page