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Green With Envy
Listed under: One Voice
Published: Monday, June 02, 2008
As the Tenon Group finds 42% of businesses failing to implement green measures, head of tax Andrew Jupp suggests a solution
Going green has cost business entrepreneurs £3.1 billion over the past year alone, so it is hardly surprising that some companies are reluctant to jump on the environmental bandwagon. Measures such as providing an energy-efficient workplace, recycling and reducing unnecessary air-miles, are all costly procedures that companies are forced to pay for themselves. Add the expense of taxes to the figure and it is easy to see why 27% of companies believe that the negative impacts of going green outweigh the positive benefits.
The Government is currently doing absolutely nothing to help smaller businesses. Although theoretically speaking all companies are in the same position and receiving the same help, which in this instance is very little indeed, smaller businesses are inevitably at a disadvantage since their budget is significantly lower. Going green is not only costly but also time-consuming. Many smaller businesses have very few people working for them, making it difficult for them to find the time to implement these changes despite the fact they may want to.
I believe more needs to be done to encourage smaller businesses to go green and there has to be a bigger incentive for them to do so. The Government should find ways to encourage them to adopt green measures and make it viable for them to do so by offering them direct help, such as reducing taxes or abolishing VAT altogether.
Over the past few years environmental concerns have become increasingly significant in the business world. I think they will continue to dominate the agenda for some time and eventually force people to take action. We all agree going green is something we need to work towards, our challenge is to ensure that every business, regardless of size or budget, is given an equal opportunity to make it happen.
The Government is currently doing absolutely nothing to help smaller businesses. Although theoretically speaking all companies are in the same position and receiving the same help, which in this instance is very little indeed, smaller businesses are inevitably at a disadvantage since their budget is significantly lower. Going green is not only costly but also time-consuming. Many smaller businesses have very few people working for them, making it difficult for them to find the time to implement these changes despite the fact they may want to.
I believe more needs to be done to encourage smaller businesses to go green and there has to be a bigger incentive for them to do so. The Government should find ways to encourage them to adopt green measures and make it viable for them to do so by offering them direct help, such as reducing taxes or abolishing VAT altogether.
Over the past few years environmental concerns have become increasingly significant in the business world. I think they will continue to dominate the agenda for some time and eventually force people to take action. We all agree going green is something we need to work towards, our challenge is to ensure that every business, regardless of size or budget, is given an equal opportunity to make it happen.
