This indicates a strong desire from businesses to reduce the environmental footprint of their operations.
More than a third of Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) see the availability of grants to offset the cost of investment as a key driver in making their businesses more sustainable.
Nearly half of respondents, 45 per cent, said a lack of available supports are a barrier to implementing measures such as sourcing renewable energy and reducing carbon footprint. Additionally, 38 per cent of businesses say they would welcome further information on how to go green, emphasising a proactive stance in addressing challenges.
The government offers various grant schemes to support businesses in their transition to sustainability, such as the Energy Efficiency Grant, the Enterprise Ireland Green Transition Fund, the Non-Domestic Microgen Scheme, and the Climate Toolkit for Business. Additionally, Uisce Éireann has trained 750 businesses in its Water Stewardship Programme since 2020.
The survey also revealed that nine in 10 SMEs are seeking to retain or bolster investments toward sustainability in the next 12 months, a trend that’s been consistent since 2022.
During a period where businesses of all sizes face a wide array of globally influenced challenges, the cost of making changes understandably remains a key consideration for SMEs, as over three-quarters (78 per cent) identified cost as a barrier to investing in sustainable practices. Further, seven in 10 SMEs considered cost as an influence when making investment decisions.
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David Broderick, Director of the Small Firms Association (SFA) said:
"Small business owners care about the environment so it’s not surprising to see the positive results reflected in this survey. That said, with the significant increase in the cost of doing business, small businesses are finding it more challenging to keep sustainability at the top of their agenda as some struggle to stay afloat.
"The SFA is actively working on behalf of our members to look for additional, easy to access, supports from government and their local authorities to overcome the barriers that small businesses face.
"SFA's MentorsWork provides hands-on consultancy services focusing on addressing sustainability needs in businesses up to 250 employees in every sector of the economy. The new consultancy offering is now open to applications along with our MentorsWork 12-week programme."
In the past year, SMEs have been proactive in conservation efforts, with 78 per cent actively reducing waste and 77 per cent working to enhance energy efficiency. Water conservation initiatives among SMEs have also increased, rising by 19 percentage points from 48 per cent to 57 per cent in the last quarter.
Commenting on the survey, Head of Customer Operations Geoffrey Bourke said:
"The B&A results show Irish SMEs remain committed to maintaining and improving sustainability measures, despite ongoing cost challenges. These businesses are aware of how important sustainable practices are, not only with their customers, but also for the green transition of Ireland."
"The survey also reflects a growing interest in Government supports and advice. That more businesses than ever are seeking out this information shows the strength of commitment to taking sustainability action – and Uisce Éireann wants to help them achieve their aim particularly when it comes to being more sustainable in their use of water. Throughout a difficult time for small businesses, we stand ready to help them reduce their environmental footprint by conserving the precious resource that is clean drinking water.
"Uisce Éireann understands the concerns and challenges facing SMEs and is committed to advising how they can achieve savings while also conserving water and becoming more sustainable. There is growing awareness among SMEs about the value of water to their business and the potential savings that can be made to their bottom line by becoming more water aware.
"We also host a suite of free initiatives to help SMEs to thrive by reducing their costs and becoming more sustainable in their water use. These include our Water Stewardship Training Programme which helps organisations lower their water use, our Annual Certification Scheme, and the Uisce Éireann water conservation pledge, which enable businesses to demonstrate their commitment to water sustainability and avail of the great free resources on our website.
"We would encourage all SMEs to visit our website to find out how they can help conserve water and reduce costs."
Uisce Éireann has a range of free initiatives to help SMEs to reduce costs and become more sustainable in terms of their use of water, including its first-of-its-kind-globally Water Stewardship Programme and Annual Membership Scheme.
