SMEs need access to funds to reduce business energy, says FoE

18/03/2011

Friends of the Earth (FoE) has called for the government to give small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access to funds to improve business energy efficiency for the future.

The climate change campaigner noted that a failure to take action on the environment by not becoming more efficient in an era of rising energy prices did not make business sense.

David Powell, climate change campaigner at FoE, said: "What we really need is a really joined up way that businesses can access the cash that they need to put in place the investments."

He added that many SMEs do want to go green and reap the rewards of a low carbon economy.

However, many of the businesses do not see help from the government to convince them that they are serious about energy efficiency plans, Mr Powell claimed.

In a report by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs it claimed that SMEs could save around £23 billion a year improving the way they use business energy and reduce waste.

 Posted by Alison Smith