Commissioned by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
This report reviewed the established evidence and thinking around the challenges and opportunities that affected the UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the transition to a low carbon economy. The serious threat of global climate change is primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels and land-use change and few now dispute that there is a need for urgent collective action to achieve a transition to a low carbon and more resource efficient economy. Although little has been written specifically on SMEs in a low carbon economy, a considerable body of relevant academic and policy literature has been identified. The review indicated that there were good reasons for treating the aim of achieving a low carbon economy as being closely aligned to that of achieving sustainable development – economic development which is environmentally and socially sustainable.
Date of publication: January 2009
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