Synthesis ECAP Workshops Best practices should …ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/sme/pdf/interim...The following synthesis pictures the outcomes of the presentations, discussions

Synthesis ECAP Workshops

‘Best practices should become regular practice’ Brussels – Rome – Budapest

June 2009

ECAP workshops – July 2009 2

1. TABLE OF CONTENT

1. TABLEOFCONTENT......................................................................................................................................................22. THEENVIRONMENTALCOMPLIANCEASSISTANCEPROGRAMME(ECAP) .................................................33. EUROPEANBESTPRACTICES.....................................................................................................................................43.1. APANELOFENVIRONMENTALMANAGEMENTTOOLS ................................................................................................................. 43.2. TOWARDSBETTERENVIRONMENTALUNDERSTANDING:COACHINGANDLEARNINGMECHANISMS .................................... 63.3. NETWORKSASASUPPORTMECHANISMFORSMES .................................................................................................................... 73.4. SUPPORTMECHANISMSFORBETTERENVIRONMENTALCOMPLIANCE ..................................................................................... 8

4. SUPPORTMECHANISMFORBESTPRACTICES:DEFINITIONOFTHE‘BUSINESSPLAN’ ...................... 104.1. NEEDSOFSMES .............................................................................................................................................................................104.2. SETTINGOBJECTIVES:INDICATORS ..............................................................................................................................................104.3. PRODUCTSANDSERVICES:ONE‐STOP‐SHOP...............................................................................................................................114.4. MARKETINGSTRATEGY..................................................................................................................................................................124.5. MEANSANDORGANISATION..........................................................................................................................................................124.6. FINANCIALPROJECTION .................................................................................................................................................................13

5. CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................................................. 14


2. THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME (ECAP)

“Representing around 99% of all enterprises and 57% of the economic value-added, SMEs account for a significant proportion of economic activities in the EU. This means that although individual businesses may have a small impact on the environment, the combined effect of their activities is considerable.

SMEs can find it difficult to improve their environmental performances and meet legal requirements.

The European Commission has adopted in October 2007, the Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme (ECAP) to provide companies with the resources and know-how to green their operations. Actions aim to minimise the administrative burden and help SMEs to implement environmental management systems. Financial aid is available, and local networks and targeted communication are both there to provide support and information.” (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/sme/pdf/leaflet_layout_en.pdf) In June 2009, Eco-Councelling Enterprise scrl and RSO SpA contributed to the organisation of three ECAP workshops with the objectives to discuss and network around proven and useful regional concepts; to learn from cross-sector Best Practices, and identify their European transfer potential; to identify, together with the workshops’ participants, what are the most suitable components for successful initiatives to support EMS uptake among European SMEs.

Content of the three workshops:

Brussels Workshop (05/06/2009): Environmental management approaches and systems: regional and national initiatives

Rome Workshop (12/06/2009): Better regulation: minimise the administrative burden and increase the voluntary agreements on environmental compliance

Budapest Workshop (30/06/2009): Environmental support services for SMEs: public and private networks

Those three workshops will be followed by a “closing event” latest in January 2010 in Brussels, which will focus on ensuring the transfer of the experiences and findings of the ECAP pilot workshops to the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) project and to strengthen the follow-up process of the ECAP project. This closing event will ensure an active exchange of expertise between the representatives of the two projects and enable a comprehensive final evaluation for the ECAP project.

The following synthesis pictures the outcomes of the presentations, discussions and feedbacks of the participants of the three ECAP workshops. In the first section we present the patchwork of European best practices presented during the programme. In the second section we highlight our analysis of the feedbacks and discussions.


3. EUROPEAN BEST PRACTICES

3.1. ApanelofenvironmentalmanagementtoolsObserving that the existing Environmental Management Systems EMAS (the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme is the EMS developed by the EU) and ISO 14001 could not answer to the specific needs of SMEs (heavy administrative burden, costs, etc.), a number of approaches and tools were simultaneously developed in the European Union to encourage SMEs to green their operations.

The ECAP workshops in Brussels provided a great opportunity to show the diversity of initiatives created in different European Countries, according to the local context and specificities of the targeted SMEs.

The categorization of more than 35 tools identified across the European Union would require a detailed analysis. Nevertheless, the information collected before and during the ECAP workshops provides sufficient data to identify the main characteristics which distinguish the different initiatives (see below):

(i) Compliance to ISO 14001 or EMAS: Initiatives which enable compliance with ISO 14001 or EMAS have traditionally been associated with a formal conception of EMS - as opposed to informal approaches which do not enable compliance. However, these definitions are evolving. ISO 14001 and EMAS should more properly be considered ‘systems’, the rest of the non-compliant environmental management initiatives should be termed ‘approaches’. In addition, a number of non-compliant initiatives are not complete systems or approaches but ‘tools’ meant to assist the SMEs in one of the steps of their environmental management process - including, for example a legal information database, environmental impact assessment tools, etc.

(ii) Completion of the PDCA iterative four-step model (‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’): While many initiatives lead to concrete action plans, most of them do not fully implement the PDCA model, missing one of the steps (i.e. no procedure to identify problems and to implement corrective actions; absence of the management review, etc.) The tools referred to in (i) above are meant only to assist SMEs in one specific step of the PDCA.

(iii) Verification of legal compliance: the verification of legal compliance represents one of the numerous individual steps of the environmental PDCA. However, this step deserves a special mention. When initiated by the public sector, EMS approaches almost always include the legal compliance verification. However, the initiators of approaches which do not result in the formal EMAS or ISO 14001 certification often consider that it is more important in a first stage to trigger environmental thinking in the SMEs (minimizing water and energy consumption, recycling paper and cartridges, etc.), rather than scaring them with legal compliance.

(iv) Integration of other management systems: some initiatives enable SMEs to jointly work on their quality/security/etc. management processes, while implementing an environmental management system/approach. SMEs already certified EFQM or ISO 9001 for example can most usefully opt for an Integrated Management Systems/Approach in order to benefit from and complete their existing management systems.

In addition Environmnetal Management initiatives usually follow either a simplified or a staged methodology: The ‘simplified’ systems or approaches are straightforward. The rationale for the introduction of simplified systems or approaches is that EMAS and 14001 do not have standards which are too high, but rather that the high costs and difficult bureaucracy associated with them, coupled with the resources, and knowledge required, result in internal and external barriers to access for SMES. … The simplified methods tend to respect the


operationally informal, oral and bureaucratic-like needs of SMEs and enable them to easily reach ISO 14001 or EMAS.

The ‘staged’ systems or approaches give the chance for SMEs to work at their own pace (gradual investments) and reach the environmental objectives they wish to achieve according to their own reality and capacities. Some of these initiatives offer, at the top level, the possibility to comply with ISO 14001 or EMAS. This methodology pushes the SMEs to go further into environmental management. However, care should be taken so that certification costs are not multiplied at each level.

In general, European SMEs select their methodology according to the initiatives promoted and financially supported in their geographical area.

While in the past, SMEs were lacking adequate environmental tools to reduce their environmental impacts, today they encounter difficulties in distinguishing between the benefits of the many available opportunities. In addition, SMEs evolving internationally lose themselves between the national initiatives and sometimes have to repeat their environmental management process in order to fulfil the requirements of initiatives recognized in different countries.

In order to reduce this barrier, different studies and projects are being conducted in Europe to develop a comparison mechanism and mutual recognition system between initiatives.

SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES…

Nordic E-COOP (Northern Europe) develops a cooperation between the established less formal Nordic approaches to eco-management and eco-certification systems (Eco-Light House, Green Network, EcoStart, Environmental Diploma, EMS light Nordic) with the establishment in the future of a Nordic formal organization with a common toolkit, shared marketing and logo.

Eco-Dynamic Label (Belgium) recognizes EMAS registered or ISO 14001 certified companies. EMAS registered organizations are automatically granted the 3 stars Eco-Dynamic label.


1.2.3 Environment (France) is a staged method which allows SMEs to go step-by-step towards the international certification ISO 14001 and / or EMAS registration.

Ecodynamic company label (Belgium) is a 3-stars label initiated in Brussels, which depends on the level of environmental performance of the organisation. ECOfit (Germany) encourages SMEs to take measures, which go beyond legal standards. It spotlights environmental actions that generate cost reduction. Once successful implemented, they receive the ECOfit award. This approach can be seen as the basis steps for a further later-on implementation of a complete EMS (EMAS or Din EN ISO 14001).

Ecostar (Hungary) is a Microsoft Excel-based tool to assist companies to improve their environmental performance. It allows the visualisation of the environmental impacts, highlighting weak and strong points.

EcoStep (Germany) is an integrated (Quality, Environment, Safety) and process-orientated management system, that was developed especially for SMEs with maximum 50 employees. It is intended to lighten the implementation of an all-inclusive management system.

EMAS Easy (EU) is composed of key environmental management system documents which are simple to use and, when consolidated, provide the requisite audit trail for a certification to ISO 14001, or the information necessary to define the environmental report for an EMAS registration.

Green Dragon Standard (UK) is a stepped standard recognising effective environmental management.

Green Office (Hungary) is a programme to “green” offices: purchasing environmentally friendly stationery, using less energy, less paper, less water etc.

Ökoprofit (Austria) is an environmental programme supporting the avoidance/reduction of waste and emission in companies, including SMEs. The initiative is further intended to cut costs. Ökoprofit is not an all-embracing EMS, but it can be used as a first step to implement an EMS according to EMAS or ISO 14001.

QuB (Germany) is a certificating system for SMEs that includes basic and sector specific demands for a quality and environmental management system. It doesn’t replace a certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001, DIN EN ISO 14001 or EMAS.


3.2. Towards better environmental understanding: coaching and learningmechanisms

European environmental programmes take advantage of different coaching methodologies to fuel SMEs with the technical know-how needed to operate their own ‘environmental management machinery’. The following approaches are used, sometimes in combination

In-situ coaching: Individual consultation on the site in which the SME benefits from personal tutoring for the implementation of an environmental management process.

Cluster: SMEs are coached in small groups, benefiting from reduction of auditing and verification costs and exchange of experiences. The selection of the participant companies is a crucial element leading to the success of a cluster. There needs to be a minimum of common knowledge and level of management (i.e. already implemented PDCA cycle or not), a certain homogeneity between the participating SMEs (companies with a high pollution potential would progress more slowly than a simple service provider). Creating gaps can lead to possible sources of demotivation. Furthermore, trust building with the facilitator and between the participants is essential, and so working with a selection of non-competing SMEs is advisable.

E-learning: Internet-based coaching is not yet very developed in Europe in terms of environmental management; only three of the studied initiatives are using it. While such coaching methodology offers great benefits in terms of geographical coverage and working pace, the development of an e-learning platform requires high investment costs.

In addition to the coaching methodologies identified above, other learning mechanisms can supply SMEs with value-added ad-hoc information.

Mutual-learning: Consultants’ knowledge can’t keep up with the latest environmental specificities all the sectors of activities, mutual-learning can be an effective mechanism for SMEs to learn from one another and exchange good practices: internet forums, environmental clubs, working groups, clusters, conferences, etc. all provide this opportunity

Help-line/Help-mail: Environmental experts and consultants provide tailored answers to SME’s questions by phone or by mail. The communication means is chosen according to the cultural background of the SMEs (Spanish companies rely more likely on the phone, whereas their UK-based counterparts use integrated ICT)

SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES… Be Smarter (EU) consists of trainings for consultants (3 days face-to-face cluster training) and an E-learning platform (personal tutoring) to allow consultants to learn from distance and to report their progress.

EcoBusinessPlan Vienna (Austria) has developed a three-staged solution. Stage 1: a consultant conducts an in-situ environmental check-up together with the company; Stage 2: the company decides to participate in the programme; Stage 3: supported by tailored consultancy services and expert input, the company develops its environmental project and starts implementing it.

Econet (Poland) is an e-learning website and training programme which consists of 3 modules: environmental review; implementation of EMS, environmental communication. Each section of the e-learning tool is accompanied by a short, interactive assessment to test the level of understanding.

Ihobe environmental assessment (Spain) provides free tailored environmental expert advices whereby a consultant visits the company for a maximum of 4 hours and makes a diagnosis. He then formulates recommendations or propose an action plan.

QuB (Germany) works through a group-based approach of maximum 10 enterprises: first group-training and then individual consultation.


Reading material: SMEs can expand their environmental knowledge through different types of written materials accessed through e-libraries, publications, newsletters, e-alerts, etc.

3.3. NetworksasasupportmechanismforSMEsNetworks, as a support mechanism for SMEs, are not new. They have been used for some decades in other fields and have now become an effective tool to address the needs of SMEs with regard to their environmental practices.

Numerous ‘environmental networks’ exist in the European Union. The preparation of the ECAP workshops generated the identification of more than 30 different networks. Without going deeply into their working methodology, a number of distinctive characteristics were observed:

(i) Geographical scope: networks are developed at local, regional, national or international level. The collective management of activity zones represents a particular category of local networks, aimed at making a specific geographical area more dynamic. Some cities (i.e. Graz, Vienna) are also effective enablers and creators of local networks - involving SMEs in the reduction of their global environmental impacts. At the other end of the spectrum, international networks tend to facilitate the international exchange of best practices.

(ii) Coordination: network managers include a diverse range of NGOs, public representatives, multi-stakeholder groups and private enterprises.

(iii) Targeted members: the majority of the networks studied target all types of companies (multi-sector, multi-size). Some of them go even further, offering their services to all types of organisations (public, private, NGO, consultants, etc.). Only a few initiatives restrict their targets to specific categories: SMEs, consultants or even sectors of activities.

(iv) Financial cost: while some networks offer free membership, others set their prices according to the size of the company or to the level of services requested. Very few selected networks search for a win-win option; for example, where the services are free of charge, provided the company reports its environmental results for entry to a database.

(v) Funds: most of the networks are publicly funded at local, national or European level. One network is innovative in terms of funding process: private investors fund the environmental actions, later reimbursed through the reduction of costs generated by the investment. This represents no additional cost for participating companies.

(vi) One-stop-Shop: One of the most important features of networks is their capacity to generate wide and complementary service packages. The following is a list of types of services provided by the different initiatives:

Environmental management systems, approaches and other environmental tools: While some networks provide their own in-house EMS or environmental tools, others do not


Clean Business Programme (Poland) emphasizes its self-help approach. Companies join the programme to access services which provide advice, training and opportunities through an information center and a network of environmental advisors.

Ihobe-line (Spain) is a free environmental telephone service whereby a panel of expert consultants and professionals provides advises on environmental aspects.

Ökoprofit club membership (Austria, Germany) offers updated methodology and examples of best practices. The main focus is on a continual improvement in environmental performance and intensive exchange of experiences between participating companies.

Követ (Hungary) promotes preventive environmental solutions, and ensures information exchange primarily in the business sector. It provides a package of activities such as trainings, demonstration projects, guidebooks, events, distribution of environmental management literature, information exchange, etc.


reinvent the wheel and guide their members in the selection of the tool best suited to their specific needs. Written information sharing: newsletters, publications, forums, e-alerts, etc. Face to face information sharing: Clubs, working groups, conferences, etc.

Training and Coaching Representation: some networks use their position as the focal point of a significant number of companies, to convey their problems and expectations to public authorities. Networks are effective tools to verify that future laws are practical and understandable for SMEs. Collective management services (specific to the activity zones)

3.4. SupportmechanismsforbetterenvironmentalcomplianceIn the European Union, few non-profit best practices exclusively target the environmental legal compliance of SMEs. Such initiatives require the expensive services of environmental lawyers and it is therefore difficult to provide these services on a low costs basis to SMEs, without substantial public funding. Additionally, some profit-driven legal services already provide environmental advice and updates to SMEs, and some of these services free of charge.

SMEs are usually too small to recruit legal experts and their own human resource departments face difficulties in understanding legal terms, navigating numerous legal documents and identifying the legal information which affects them. In other words, SMEs are simply saying:


Clean Business Programme (Poland) promotes a win-win approach. In return of the free advisory services, companies commit to improve their environmental performance based on an environmental review of operations carried out by the Foundations specialist. On this basis, the company is expected to introduce an environmental policy, undertake practical problem-solving in production processes and develop EMS.

Conser (Italy) is committed to study and develop innovative centralized services (centralized water recycling, mobility management, production and distribution of clean energy) that the market does not provide in order to obtain a continuous and voluntary improvement of environmental and social impact for the whole production area of Prato. The services do not represent costs for the member SMEs but investments.

Ekja (Estonia) acts as a moderator between enterprises, state institutions and the whole society while representing and protecting its members’ interest and collaborating with state authorities in the development of environmental legislation.

Green network (Denmark) results in joint private companies’ efforts and public sector partners’ involvement to achieve greater sustainability in the fields of environment, social commitment and occupational health and safety. The key words in this cooperation are dialogue, voluntary agreement and commitment.

Metttes (Malta, Hungary, Italy and Germany) is a European project aiming at a more efficient transnational technology transfer in the Environmental sector. It focuses mainly on regional demand in an area of need particularly relevant to a region (i.e. Malta, Hungary) which leads to a matching events whereby potential suppliers from other countries (i.e. Germany and Italy) meet companies in need of technology transfer.

Modell Hohenlohe (Germany) is a non-profit community of 180 enterprises, standing for corporate responsibility in the fields of environment and climate change. It organizes learning-networks of 7 to 15 companies which work together, share consultancy costs, learn from each other and boost the know-how of their staffs.

Ökoprofit (Austria) was developed in 1991 for the city of Graz. Since then the approach has been adopted by other cities and regions in Austria, Germany, Poland, UK and even China.


“Tell us what to do!1” The non-profit initiatives tend to address those legal issues by ‘translating’ legal documents into easy terms understandable by all, reducing their length and sorting them by theme, offering individual legal consultations to SMEs, informing them about the laws and regulations which could affect them, and finally, by sending regular updates on the legislation through e-alerts.

One of the initiatives studied opted for a totally different approach. Starting from the same observations, it decided to work at the source and assist legislative bodies to produce user-friendly laws and regulations, short and simple to read. This innovative procedure is based on a win-win situation between public authorities and the private sector: the public sector simplifies the life of the private sector, who in return commits itselves to comply with legislation. This effective collaboration system enables public administrations to pass laws and regulations which are generally accepted and understood.

1 Result of a survey done by the Business Development Manager of Netregs to understand the needs of SMEs with regard to their environmental impacts.


Bavarian Environmental Agreement (Germany) was reached between industries (SMEs) and public authorities. Companies commit themselves to take environmental measures and bettering their environmental performance beyond compliance. In exchange they can obtain subsidies and are relieve of certain administrative obligations.

Enviroveille (France) is a paying legal information portal meant to improve the easy access of enterprises, including SMEs, to environmental legislation. It is updated daily with local, national and international news. The service provides as well e-mail alerts.

Netregs (UK) is a free to use website which aims to help SMEs in the UK to understand complex environmental regulations that can affect them. It provides clear, readily accessible information, individual guidance as well as examples of good environmental practices.


4. SUPPORT MECHANISM FOR BEST PRACTICES: DEFINITION OF THE ‘BUSINESS PLAN’2

The identification of transferable Best Practice components, and the analysis of the factors of success and difficulties reported by ECAP workshop participants, have lead to the conclusion that a key element of success for any EMS initiative is a well-defined and thought through ‘business plan’. This in effect is no different to any traditional business activity. Those elements which have been identified as “very important” are related to correctly specifying the needs of SMEs and communicating appropriately with them.

It is interesting to observe that countries where environmental concerns are not yet on the top of the agenda and EMS initiatives are trying to emerge (Malta, Bulgaria, Estonia) are keener on choosing easy to implement but effective regional initiatives; whereas countries which have already tested and developed their own systems are looking for more complex and detailed best practices, including databases and evaluation systems, as well as strong marketing support and visibility.

4.1. NeedsofSMEs‘SMEs can find it difficult to improve their environmental performances and meet legal requirements.’3 This recognition of the needs of SMEs is the point of origin of the ECAP program, and all the EMS initiatives.

“The capacity to address the specific needs of SMEs” is often reported as a factor of success. Best practice initiators probably dedicate sufficient time to understand who their potential customers are, where they are located and what their needs are. This important step helps the initiative to identify the types of products and services to be provided (simple tools, reduction of administrative burden, etc.) and to the geographical scope of the project.

The European Union is very diverse and the needs of SMEs in Bulgaria are very different than those of the UK. Their contexts are different (environmental legislation, suppliers’ or peers’ environmental pressure, public support and infrastructure, customer environmental awareness, etc.), but so too is the level of their environmental understanding. The wider the geographical scope of a project, the more important it is for the services to be adaptable to local specificities (needs). The majority of the international initiatives tend to focus more on the transfer of good practices.

While the SMEs’ needs are addressed at the beginning of projects, few initiatives mention having integrated markets surveys as an ongoing improvement process.

4.2. Settingobjectives:indicatorsIf the final objective of most of the studied initiatives is to reduce the environmental impacts of SMEs, many of them fail to define good indicators to set fixed objectives, to attest of their working progress and performance, to facilitate their communication, etc. However, participants of the ECAP workshops recognized the value-added of demonstrating the economic and

2 All the quoted notes of this section are reported comments from the ECAP workshop participants 3 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/sme/pdf/leaflet_layout_en.pdf


Netregs conducts regular surveys with SMEs to evaluate that its services are still in line with the SMEs’ specific needs but also to evaluate the effectiveness of its communication strategy.


environmental impact of the projects (third most important element on a scale of 25 components). Detailed facts and figures represent a powerful and persuasive tool to convince SMEs, public authorities, and other stakeholders of the merit of a good practice.

However, those who work on the issue face ‘difficulties to measure the real important outputs for environmental best practices (CO2, water, etc.) and not just the normal public funding outputs (jobs, sales, people trained, etc.)’

4.3. Productsandservices:onestopshopThe capacity to offer a wide panel of products and services raises the potential for success of an initiative. SMEs would rather knock on the door of shops with well-furnished shelves, whose products are sold by competent technical advisers.

Fear of costs represents one of the main barriers to the engagement of SMEs. Deciding on the right (not too high, not too low) price of the products and services is thus an important strategy for sucess. However, the participants of the ECAP workshops in Budapest consider that SMEs should contribute in one form or another. Networks should perhaps provide their services through a win-win process, rather than offering them free of charge. Network’s own experiences demonstrated that SMEs tend to be less involved and motivated when the services are free of charge. However, some free services have lead to successful initiatives.

In addition to the costs of the services, SMEs fear exposing their legal non-conformity when they know they do not have the means to rectify the situation. The confidentiality and independence of the services (i.e. individual consultancy) could overcome some barriers. Nonetheless, most of the best practices initiated by public authorities are entitled to legal conformity verification.

Finally, given the number of initiatives which have emerged in the European Union in recent years, it is clearly important not to reinvent the wheel, but to learn from best practices. The more they are, the more difficult is their comparison. And,as already mentioned, their number might lead to the multiplication of Environmental Management Systems and Approaches for companies dealing with customers from different countries. The disparate development of systems might weaken them all’. Several ECAP Workshops participants (Estonia, Malta, France, Belgium, and Luxemburg) also identified the need to link initiatives with formal EMS such as ISO 14001 and EMAS.


EcoBusiness Plan (Austria): “680 enterprises participated in the programme and have saved about EUR 47,1 million, representing: 114.912 tonnes reduction of solid waste output; 1.214 tonnes reduction of toxic wastes; 175,3 million kWh energy savings (an amount equal to the annual energy consumption of 58.400 Viennese households); 51.470 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions saved; 85,8 million kilometres reduction of total transport mileage (2141 round-the-world trips); drinking water consumption reduced by 2.078.700 m³”

Enworks toolkit (UK) is a web-based software that allows businesses to record, prioritise, track, report and implement their opportunities for improved resource efficiency. It automatically calculates the cost savings and environmental benefits for each opportunity, and has proved invaluable in removing barriers and providing a robust business case for change. The toolkit also supports Programme management by collating cost savings and environmental benefits for the region and allowing good practice to be shared.

Netregs (UK) ’s financial benefits for businesses: “E-alerts subscribers save on average £ 2.615 a year; they improve their profitability, avoiding fines for non-compliance, savings on consultants’ fees, reducing time & money spent reviewing legislation; they improve their brand value: Keeping up to date on existing and future law, improving UK business reputation, creating a competitive edge over competitors.


4.4. Marketingstrategy‘Motivation’, ‘persuasion’, ‘involvement’, ‘will’, ‘interest’, ‘belief’, ‘recognition’, ‘agreement’, etc. are all recurrent words expressed to describe the reasons for the success or lack of success of initiatives. These human factors can be addressed through effective communication.

No matter if the services are provided free of charge or not, SMEs always have to invest time, energy and resources in their environmental action plans. SMEs must be convinced of the true value of the direct and indirect costs they will incur as a result of the EMS they engage in. Public authorities are also often engaging funds in environmental initiatives. The communication strategy developed for beneficiaries or donors is thus a decisive element of any initiative. Indeed, a tool adapted to the specific needs of SMEs might end up failing if the targeted companies do not even know it exists. The choice of the arguments and words, but also the communication channels (phone, ICT, face-to-face, networks, etc.) should be carefully selected according to the target audience.

The general ‘environmental awareness’’ of external stakeholders should also be taken into consideration. Several best practices reported that the environmental expectations of SME and the green understanding of municipalities and regional authorities contributed to their success.

Unfortunately it seems that a number of initiatives do not allocate sufficient funds to their communication strategy, thus slowing down their own expansion. Many of the initiatives communicate about their actions, highlighting the number of companies who are participating, but failing to collect the real environmental and economicoutputs of their activities.

4.5. MeansandorganisationThe lack of capacity of various sorts represent a barrier for initiatives: as participants have noted, ‘difficulties to keep up with the success of the label considering the lack of human resources’, ‘difficulties to recruit the right staff with the right skills and knowledge’, etc. hamper the success of initiatives. The capacity to recruit competent human resources tends to minimise “disagreements between partners” and “difficulties of coordination of the partners”. Nevertheless, the ECAP workshop participants reported the diversity of partners involved in the project as being the most important element of an ideal network (First on a scale of 25


Netregs (UK) has allocated a large part of its budget to communication. The growth of Netregs depends on sustained marketing activities. Their communication strategy includes regular surveys to evaluate its effectiveness. SMEs have been made aware of the initiative through a variety of avenues, including: direct contact with regulators; promotion through trade magazines, workshops, etc.

Követ (Hungary) is a NGO whose objective is to raise awareness, spread ideas and tools (‘Steps… towards Sustainability’, Youth exchange, Alternative Entrepreneur DVD, Environmentally Aware Management CD, etc.)


Clean Business Programme (Poland) establishes, free of charge Clean Business Clubs, where local companies and governments commit themselves to improve their environmental performance.

EcoBusiness Plan (Austria) offers consultancy services in five different modules, developed to foster environmental best practices and projects: EcoBonus, EcoProfit, EcoQualit label for Tourism, ISO 14001 and EMAS. Companies can select the most suitable module.

Netregs (UK) is a free of charge and confidential one-stop-shop for environmental legislation.


elements). In other words, it seems that the positive value-added brought by a multi-stakeholder group outweighs any negative implications (disagreements, etc.).

Furthermore, the impact of some external factors (‘reluctance from certificating bodies to modify procedures to facilitate group certification’, ‘difficulties due to the multiplication of initiatives’, ‘increasing complexity of legislation’, etc) could possibly be reduced by involving additional stakeholders from the beginning of the project. Collaboration with public authorities, cooperation with certifiers, coordination with ‘competitors’, etc. could potentially be very useful.

4.6. FinancialprojectionThe long term sustainability of the initiatives often depends on their funding perspectives (funds allocated directly to the initiatives or indirectly through subsidies attributed to participating companies).

European, national, regional or municipal funds are either reported as an external support mechanism (‘long term funding enables stability, especially in retaining staff’, ‘SMEs would not implement an EMS without external support’), or as a barrier (‘sometimes restrictive rules and bureaucracy associated with public funds’, ‘lack of adequate funding’).

Germany and the UK are probably the countries where environmental initiatives benefit from the best long-term state contribution. However, when initiatives in countries where the authorities do not or cannot secure the needed funds, new funding/subsidies mechanisms have to be found.

Often SMEs then have to pay for the services they get at a price which depend either on the company size, oron the type of services provided.

Some initiatives propose innovative funding/subsidies mechanisms: these include funds obtained due to the economies generated by the project (reduction of energy consumption, economies of scale, etc.), subsidies as a result of private partnership with banks or insurance companies, and / or reduction of some administrative burdens for participating companies.

SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES… 123 environnement (France) initiated a partnership with AXA insurance and with the Crédit Coopératif bank who offer better prices to labelised companies.

Conser (Italy) operates like any other businesses. Investments are reimbursed through the economies of scales generated by the new services.

Bavarian Environmental agreement (Germany) ensures that companies who commit themselves taking their environmental performance beyond compliance obtain subsidies or are relieved of certain administrative obligations.


Enworks (UK) ensures that its business support services are co-ordinated within the region, reducing duplication between partners’ activities (Envirowise, Carbon Trust, Netregs, etc.) and ensuring consistently high quality service provision to businesses. Enworks is the managing body for Environment Connect, a service launched in 2006 to provide a single point of contact for all environment related queries Northwest business.

Bavarian Environmental Agreement (Germany) is the result of discussions and negotiations between companies and public authorities.


5. CONCLUSION

The variety of the selected best practices, as well as the diversity of experiences of the participants and their interesting comments and questions, contributed to the success of the ECAP workshop.

The participants appreciated this unique opportunity to discuss and exchange experiences about existing best practices with the objective of initiating new projects or improving best practice.

These workshops have opened opportunities for further discussions, which could be addressed in the follow-up activities (on the ECAP Forum for instance) and highlighted during the final conference.

Our synthesis has highlighted the need for initiatives to act as real businesses. The key findings are as follows:-Ensuring the integration of Environmental Management Approaches into the broader picture of ISO14001 and EMAS (link with the Step-up to EMAS study coordinated by BIOIS and Adelphi Consult.

Encouraging coordination between systems, approaches and tools to facilitate mutual recognition (missing steps to be recognised by other initiatives)

Developing guidelines to coach existing initiators to define clear sets of indicators and promote existing best practices

Encouraging the integration of marketing strategy within the best practices: regular surveys, identification of adequate channels of communication, effective messaging, etc.

Encouraging the development of new innovative incentives (i.e. cooperation with the banking and insurance sector with reduction of insurance cost or credit interest )

Further discussing and analysing the concept of the one-stop-shop approach and its benefits for SMEs

Encouraging partnerships with new stakeholders: proactively encouraging and proposing to participants that they run projects together.

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The ECAP Workshops 2009 are organised for the European Commission, DG Environment

by Eco-Conseil Entreprise scrl (BE) and RSO SpA (IT) Eco-Conseil Entreprise scrl 35 rue van Elewyck B-1050 Brussels Tel: +32 2 644 96 69 Fax: +32 2 644 94 20 http://www.ecoconseil-entreprise.com

---------------------------- Marcel van Meesche: [email protected] Heinz Werner Engel : [email protected] Patricia Remacle

RSO SpA Piazza della Repubblica, 59 IT-00185, Rome Tel. (+39) 06 48886 307 Fax: (+39) 06 48886 398 http://www.rsogroup.eu/ ------------------------- Giovanna Galasso : [email protected] Alessandro De Maio: [email protected] Giancarlo Senatore : [email protected]

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/sme/

Documents

Synthesis ECAP Workshops Best practices should …ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/sme/pdf/interim...The following synthesis pictures the outcomes of the presentations, discussions