Irish businesses remain committed to climate change despite lack of confidence around 2030 emissions target

47% of businesses are unaware if their energy is renewable or not

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A significant majority of companies, some 71%, say sustainability and climate change have an impact on decision making when it comes to purchasing and partnerships; while the vast majority of businesses (85%) consider themselves to be environmentally friendly.

That’s according to new findings published by SSE Airtricity in its Green Business Sentiment Index series. The research, carried out by Behaviour & Attitudes on behalf of SSE Airtricity, highlights and measures the progression of attitudes among businesses towards renewable energy and green recovery, over the past 10 months

This is the second national report, following the first instalment in July 2020, commissioned by Ireland’s largest provider of 100% green energy.

With positive progress in some areas over the past 10 months, there is still some way to go for businesses to see the benefits of renewable energy as 47% of businesses are still unaware if their energy is renewable or not, unchanged from July 2020. 30% claim to use renewable energy, an 8-percentage point improvement on July 2020; with 47% still seeing cost as the main hurdle in reducing their carbon footprint, unchanged from July 2020.

“It’s really encouraging to see that, despite the current challenges facing the Irish business community due to Covid-19 and economic recovery, there’s been an increase of 10-percentage points in the number of businesses that consider the issue of climate change to be of importance,” said Klair Neenan, managing director of SSE Airtricity.

“Along with an increase of 11 percentage points in the number of businesses that say sustainability and climate change have an impact on decision making when it comes to purchasing and partnerships. This is hugely positive in terms of looking to a greener, net zero future,” Neenan added. “That sustainability and climate change remain a factor in the decision-making process is vital right now as we look ahead to COP26 in November, and what many are calling ‘the last best chance’ we have to tackle climate change.”

 AT A GLANCE 

Key findings from the research (with percentage point comparison to the July 2020 report):

• 83% still consider the issue of climate change to be important while in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic (up 10 points from July 2020)
•  71% say sustainability and climate change have an impact on their decision making when it comes to purchasing and partnerships (up 11 points from July 2020)
•  85% consider themselves to be environmentally friendly (unchanged from July 2020)
•  47% are unaware if their energy is renewable or not (unchanged from July 2020)
•  30% claim to avail of renewable energy (up 8 points from the July 2020)
•  47% still see cost as the main hurdle in reducing their carbon footprint (unchanged from July 2020)
•   38% have incorporated retrofitting into their premises (unchanged from July 2020)
•  At least 23% claim to be not using renewable energy (down 6 points from July 2020)
•  78% of businesses feel that 100% green energy would have an influence on their energy purchasing decision (unchanged from July 2020)
•  42% believe that being a greener business attracts more customers (up 5 points from July 2020)
•  31% don’t know what retro-fitting is (up 4 points from July 2020)
•  78% of businesses feel Government supports would help influence them in considering retro-fitting (unchanged from July 2020)
•  67% of businesses are aware of the Government’s 2030 target for a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
•  Just one in four businesses aware of that target are confident that the target can be achieved
  

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*(Source: Behaviour & Attitudes carried out this research on behalf of SSE Airtricity among a national representative sample of 352 business owners in Ireland. Fieldwork took place from 27 April – 13 May, conducted via telephone and online methodologies in line with Covid-19 restrictions)

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