Business turning a deaf ear to the green regime

Sustainability and the green transition are watchwords in almost every corporate presentation these days but a new survey suggests the reality for business on the ground is quite different.

Nearly four years after the Green Party entered the current Government determined to make Ireland more environmentally friendly, only half of Irish business say sustainability and climate change are issues that affect their decision-making, according to the latest SSE Airtricity Green Business Sentiment Index.

That’s down over 20 percentage points over the past two and a quarter years in what the study organisers call an “alarming shift in sentiment ... signalling a reprioritisation across the board”.

Being ‘greener’

Only two-thirds of Irish business now consider themselves to be environmentally friendly, accord to the survey carried out by Behaviour & Attitudes, down from 85 per cent in May 2021. And just a quarter believe that being “greener” attracts customers compared to 42 per cent back then.

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The bottom line for business — or at least 90 per cent of them according to this study — is that the primary responsibility for tackling climate change lies with government, not business. And, of course, this Government is struggling to bite the bullet on persuading voters that the longer-term benefit of doing so is worth the shorter-term financial and other pain.

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Fewer than two in five businesses now see sustainability and energy efficiency as a budget priority. That makes it less likely that the State can come close to delivering on its 2030 targets.

And over one in 10 are saying the unsayable — that climate change is not at all important for business — more than double the figure just two years ago.

Carbon footprint

Cost is the main reason cited for the failure to do more to reduce their carbon footprint, cited by just under half of respondents, with one in five saying a lack of information on methods of decarbonisation is the main barrier.

“The findings largely demonstrate a regression in the sentiment towards sustainability,” said SSE managing director of energy customer solutions Nikki Flanders, adding that the survey findings “demonstrate a real cause for alarm and should not be underestimated. If unaddressed, climate change will continue to drive up costs for businesses and for society at large.”

That’s a message business is well used to hearing at this stage. This survey’s results suggest they have stopped listening.