Most Irish businesses ill-equipped for climate transition, survey finds

Nearly four-fifths of businesses in Ireland have no budget for “sustainability initiatives” while more than half see cost as the main barrier to adopting more climate friendly policies.

That’s according to a new survey by Irish energy firm UrbanVolt.

The findings highlight a disconnect between business and the State’s objective of transitioning to a low carbon economy.

UrbanVolt’s Green Business Tracker survey also indicated that contrary to previous claims, smaller businesses are more likely to have done work to combat climate change than their bigger counterparts.

More than half (57 per cent) of respondents with one to three employees said “they have done a great deal or a fair amount to combat climate change”.

This compares with just a third of businesses with four to nine employees and 42 per cent of businesses with more than 10 employees.

“The perceived expense of implementing green initiatives appears to be a significant issue for business owners,” UrbanVolt said, noting that 71 per cent of firms said they are concerned about the initial capital investment.

“The results of the first UrbanVolt Green Business Tracker paint a gloomy picture of business attitudes towards the implementation of green initiatives,” company chief executive Kevin Maughan said.

“Despite an acknowledgment of the need to address climate issues, we can see from the results that few businesses are actually taking meaningful steps towards doing so,” he said, suggesting more accessible grants and initiatives were critically important for businesses.

Mr Maughan said the survey was a wake-up call for the Government and the green industry at a time when urgent action is needed. “Year after year, we see climate records broken as our planet continues to burn. We have no time to waste if we want to safeguard the future of the planet,” he said.