Carbon Trust guide helps SMEs unlock their green potential

A new guide released by the Carbon Trust can help small and medium sized businesses unlock their potential for green growth.

The market for green goods and services is already valued at £112bn 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. 52 per cent of the UK's SMEs see a greener economy as a threat and almost half believe that reaping the benefits of green growth requires access to capital. 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 and develop a green growth strategy.

Also, reduce their environmental impact, green their products and services and increase their competitive advantage.

One example of an SME using its green credentials to win major new contracts is Lamport Gilbert, a printing business based in Reading with 40 employees which invested in green technology and is reducing its overheads and improving profitability and can market the business as one of the UK’s leading eco-print providers.

Ian Gibson, Director of Delivery Programmes at the Carbon Trust said: "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."

Further information:
Carbon Trust