Measures to reduce the carbon footprint should take into greater consideration the role small businesses have to play, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has said today.
Small businesses account for over half of business energy use and could offer a substantial contribution to carbon footprint reduction, but the current lack of information on practicalities like energy efficiency measures means that small firms remain poorly informed.
In response to the Joint Committee Report into the Climate Change Bill, the BCC’s head of policy Natalie Evans said that the Bill “lacked clarity over the legal enforceability of climate change reduction targets, making it unclear what is expected of businesses,” adding that current support material is “difficult for small businesses to access.”
She went on to say that small businesses “need a stable legislative environment and a coherent set of support measures,” so that while larger companies are catered for, the “needs of small business are not forgotten.”
An energy efficiency survey conducted by the BCC last year showed that 84% of small to medium businesses consider themselves energy efficient, or are in the process of becoming so.
The BCC suggested that in order to work towards achieving a reduction in carbon emissions, small businesses should work in partnership with government agencies, while initiatives such as the Carbon Trust should be refocused to be more specific to small business needs.
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