SMEs taking steps to increase their resource-efficiency and reduce waste are to benefit from a new EU eco action plan, called EcoAP*.
Funding, training and grants will be available to commercial property businesses that take steps towards resource efficiency, or drive products and services that aim to reduce environmental impact.
For example, products that increase the use of recycled materials will be eligible for the scheme, as will commercial properties that take steps to reduce the amount of water used in the production process, and by employees.
The EU, which sees eco-innovation as fundamental to Europe’s economic competitiveness, said the plan aims to reduce commercial pressure on the environment and tie the gap between innovation and the market.
The Action plan will fast-track eco-innovation across all sectors of the economy with well-targeted actions. The plan will take measures in the areas of private and public procurement, along with standards and regulatory incentives, to help form stronger and more stable market demand for eco-innovation. It will also mobilise support for commercial SMEs to improve investment readiness and networking opportunities.
European Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik, commented on the scheme: “The innovation challenge for this century will be making our resources go further-doing more with less and reducing the impact of our activities.
Europe must be in the lead in meeting the challenge if we want to be competitive in a world of increasing resource constraints. Worldwide demand for environmental technologies, products and services is growing rapidly even in these difficult times, and it’s an area where Europe has much to offer. This is a plan for green jobs and green growth.”
Implementation of the plan will be through partnerships between the private and public sector, stakeholders and the Commission. The approaching mid-term financial review will provide a worthy opportunity to measure the achievement of the goals set out in the Action Plan. New efforts will centre on demonstration activities and product development to fill the gap between technology and market uptake.
The plan builds on an already increasing marketplace, with venture capital investments in eco-innovation growing from £300m in 2004 to around £1.3bn in 2010.
*The EcoAP is one of the promises of the Innovation Union Flagship Initiative, building on the 2004 Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP). It expands the focus from green technologies to the wider concept of eco-innovation, targeting specific bottlenecks, challenges and opportunities for achieving environmental objectives through innovation. The EcoAP consists of actions both on research and industry, the demand and supply side and on policy and financial instruments. The plan stresses the significance of research and innovation to produce more innovative technologies and bring them to the marketplace.
