Action to beat climate change
Business owners have been focused on the bare necessities post-Covid-19, according to research that shows 59 per cent describe themselves as “surviving”.
But as the recovery continues, there is a growing group of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 100 staff that have made changes to the way they work during the pandemic and plan to stick with them.
The Gen Less campaign, launched by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), is about giving businesspeople the tools they need to take the adaptability and innovation shown during the coronavirus crisis “and do exactly the same for our greatest environmental challenge”.
Jo Bye, EECA’s general manager of marketing and communications, says: “Businesses are focusing on efficiency, which isn’t surprising. Their most pressing concerns are reducing costs and retaining customers.
“Our research shows that, inevitably, climate action has been pushed further down the list.
“But climate action shouldn’t be discounted as ‘just another thing to consider’. It could be the opportunity to save more money and operate more effectively, while also reducing impact on the planet.
“What we’ve all seen in the past year is that smaller businesses have had to face big challenges, and many have quickly adapted and reacted to operating environments.
“Taking a similar initiative on the climate-action front could help them save money while lowering their carbon footprints – and make themselves more attractive to customers.”
EECA’s research found that reducing costs and retaining customers are top priorities for 74 and 73 per cent of businesses respectively.
The focus on improving efficiency has also made a huge leap at 48 per cent, up from 37 per cent in the previous quarter.
Climate change is seen as a very important issue by 42 per cent of businesses as many think New Zealand is too small to have a global impact.
Just 12 per cent report having sought out information on climate actions in the last quarter.
Bye, pictured, adds: “Given SMEs make up 97 per cent of all Kiwi businesses and the business sector is responsible for 40 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, they’re hugely important for contributing to New Zealand’s zero-carbon goals.
“But 70 per cent of them don't know where to go for information.”
EECA’s Gen Less website has advice, case studies and tools – including the new Climate Action Toolbox – to show smaller businesses what they can do to tackle its carbon footprint.
Bye says: “For many years, EECA has been working with Aotearoa’s largest energy users and emitters to lower energy use and switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy for their industrial processes.
“We’ve also supported many businesses transitioning their fleets towards electrification.
“There’s a lot of knowledge we’ve gleaned from participating in a variety of innovative projects, and it’s important to share those insights for organisations of all sizes to help them on their journeys.
“And that’s why we’re kicking off our Gen Less ‘say no to business as usual’ campaign to raise awareness of where this information exists.
“Small businesses proved their agility and adaptability through Covid-19. The climate emergency is no less pressing We think the business community can show real leadership here.”
Learn about the campaign at genless.govt.nz/business.
