Larger firms 'lead the way' on green issues

Larger firms are doing a better job of embodying corporate social responsibility in their business models than small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), it has been claimed.

Charlie Crossley Cooke, managing director of Opus Energy, said that smaller businesses often had more pressing microeconomic concerns and had fewer opportunities to be flexible.

"Your average SME business owner is probably more focused on running the business on price than on the green product," RealBusiness.co.uk quoted him as saying.

By comparison, he said that larger firms such as major high-street chains tend to be "much more focused on environmentally responsible purchasing".

Analysts say that companies who cut back on their carbon footprints not only stand to benefit from tax relief, but can also significantly improve their public image among their customer base.

Opus Energy has sourced 66 per cent of its energy supplies from low-carbon sources - 44 per cent of which comes from entirely renewable supplies.
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