The market for green goods and services is already valued at £112 billion in the UK alone and the Carbon Trust believes that SMEs can profit from accelerating growth in the green economy.
However, recent research from the Carbon Trust shows that not all small businesses are aware of the opportunities. More than half of the UK's SMEs (52 per cent) see a greener economy as a threat. Almost half believe that reaping the benefits of green growth requires access to capital, less than a third (29 per cent) expect it to lead to increased profits and only 22 per cent are investing in greener products or services.
The Carbon Trust's practical, hands-on guide – Green Your Business for Growth - gives SMEs advice on how to:
- Take advantage of the multiple benefits of green growth
- Identify green growth opportunities specific to their organisation
- Develop a green growth strategy
- Reduce their environmental impact
- Green their products and services
- Increase their competitive advantage
The free guide can be downloaded at www.carbontrust.co.uk/publications and includes templates for energy and environment policies, as well as a useful checklist to assess current sustainability.
Ian Gibson, Director of Delivery Programmes at the Carbon Trust commented:
"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. 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”
Source: Carbon Trust