Over 400 Basque companies are becoming more competitive through eco-efficient actions - 21 February 2012.
Just over a year on from the programme being introduced, 410 Basque companies have already signed up to save raw materials and include the environmental variable in their organisation thanks to the Eco-efficiency Programme in the Basque Company, under the impetus of the Basque Government's Department of the Environment in conjunction with Ihobe. Eco-efficiency is being consolidated in the Basque Country as one of the main business values.
The industrial sector accounts for the bulk of
member organisations, with over 50%, as it has a large margin for improvement
in areas such as saving material resources. Service companies, engineering and
architecture firms account for 37%, while the remaining 13% of members are from
other sectors.
This diversity of activities and sectors enriches
the Eco-efficiency
Programme and is fostering partnership opportunities between
companies.
As far as the lines of action of the programme are
concerned, the SMEs in action line has increased significantly
and now accounts for up to half the members, while the member ratio in the
other two lines of action, environmental leadership and clean
technologies, is holding steady. This trend is a good sample of the
effectiveness of the Programme, both in large corporations and in small and
medium-sized companies.
Collaboration
with business associations
The Eco-efficiency Programme in the Basque Company
has opted to work closely with the different multipliers to bring
eco-efficiency and the support services offered by the programme to the
greatest number of companies of the Basque Autonomous Community.
Partnerships agreements have thus been signed with 15 entities, such as
regional development agencies or business associations, which have led to
outreach initiatives involving personalised visits to over 500 organisations,
most of which were SMEs and micro-SMEs.
These partner entities have provide the channel for
150 companies to sign up to the Eco-efficiency Programme and for the provision
of numerous services focused on fostering eco-efficient practices, by enhancing
employee skills and by identifying the most important environmental aspects.
Another service provided is the support of an expert in the field when
implementing plans of action in the company, for the legal compliance of the
facilities and optimising resources consumption.
Twelve working groups have also been set up to
tackle the specific needs in common environmental aspects, in areas such as
legislative compliance, ecodesign, atmospheric emissions, environmental
management systems, waste and landfills. This has all led to the
participants implementing environmental improvement and adaptation projects.
Throughout 2012, different public calls will be
launched for regional development agencies, clusters and/or business and sector
associations to submit work projects and joint partner initiatives with the
member companies.
Source: www.ihobe.net
February 21, 2012.