Business Falling Short on Environmental Action But We’ve Got The Answer
Victorian small businesses are willing and able to improve their environmental performance; can see the economic benefit in doing so, but admit to lagging behind households when it comes to taking action, new research reveals.
A survey of more than 90 businesses by the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) showed small business ranked itself lowly when asked to compare its performance to that of households, but was not daunted by the prospect of becoming more environmentally responsible.
VECCI CEO Neil Coulson said small business owners and operators wanted to do more to improve their performance, but needed the tools to help them.
“What small business has been looking for is an easy, low cost way of identifying how they could improve their operating practices to the benefit of the environment and their own bottom line.
“With the support of EPA Victoria, VECCI is proud to announce a new campaign from Grow Me The Money which will arm business with the tools to make real and sustained change in their workplaces without it creating another impost on their business.
Other key findings from the survey include:
- at least half of the respondents were unaware of the current water and energy usage and waste production of their own business;
- almost half of businesses surveyed believe that making environmental changes will save them money;
- cost and time are the most important barriers to making change;
- over fifty per cent of the businesses surveyed have actively taken measures to reduce their water usage but 40 per cent say that more needs to be done; and
- responding to community expectation and financial benefits are the most important motivators to make changes in businesses ahead of government regulation and environmental damage.
Grow Me The Money Program Director, Kate Nicolazzo, said: “Businesses participating in the pilot program - conducted in the Goulburn Valley, Western Metropolitan Melbourne and the CBD - were surprised at how easy it was to make changes and the immediate impact the program had on savings to the environment and their bottom line.”
“This new advertising campaign encourages business owners to sign up to the program and start viewing environmental sustainability as an important business opportunity, rather than a cost,” she said.
Key elements of the Grow Me The Money campaign launched today include:
- a state-wide advertising campaign with television advertisements starting tonight and radio and print advertisements to follow in coming weeks;
- a new look website with simple steps to guide businesses through a workplace assessment and to create an action plan;
- a series of regional stakeholder forums to run throughout 2007 educating businesses around Victoria about Grow Me The Money and how to improve their environmental performance and save their business money;
- latest statistics from a recent survey tracking the environmental attitudes and practices of Victorian businesses; and
- announcement of a recognition program to acknowledge the effort and achievement of participating businesses.
More information about Grow Me The Money can be obtained by visiting http://www.growmethemoney.com.au/ or calling (03) 8662 5480. |
