Over a third of businesses say they plan to introduce a carbon cutting policy in the next “one or two years”, but just under 40% said they were “many years away” from implementing changes.
The survey by business advisory firm Deloitte says that while most green initiatives being employed by UK entrepreneurs involve waste reduction, recycling and energy conservation, businesses found more complex initiatives – water conservation, reducing carbon dixoide emissions for the business as a whole, and imposing green sanctions on their own suppliers – far more challenging.
Richard Crane, entrepreneurial business partner at Deloitte, said many entrepreneurs still see environmental initiatives as representing a cost to the business rather than an opportunity. “There are two broad reasons why entrepreneurs should have green issues firmly on their agenda,” he said. “Firstly, environmental factors are increasingly influencing the buying decisions of both businesses and consumers. For example, pressure from shareholders on large businesses to be responsible corporate citizens means that they increasingly vet the environmental records of their own suppliers.
“Secondly, the growing pressure on businesses and individuals to reduce their environmental impact inevitably brings opportunities for new products and services to help them meet this goal.”
