Happy European Day of SMEs

We encourage SMEs to continue working with energy without losing sight of the environment

Tomorrow is the European Day of SMEs and from Axpo we want to congratulate all the small and medium-sized entrepreneurs on their day, encouraging them to continue working with energy. And it is that the energy that SMEs demonstrate day by day is an indisputable fact.

99% of the Spanish business fabric is made up of SMEs (companies with 0 to 249 employees), which generate 74% of employment and more than 65% of GDP, and consume 20% of the total energy demand in our country . Given these figures, we cannot deny the strategic role that SMEs play in our economy, as well as the economic, social and environmental impact of their activities.

Given the significant percentage of energy consumption they represent, Axpo encourages all SMEs to continue developing their activity in a sustainable way, as the figures demonstrate, in this sense, that Spanish SMEs still have a way to go.

The latest data released by the EU indicated that only 7% of Spanish SMEs consumed renewable energy, compared to 14% of their European counterparts. Likewise, SMEs in our country did not fare better in adopting energy efficiency measures, since while 93% of SMEs in the EU had adopted these measures, only 18% of our SMEs would have decided to get down to business. the play.

"While it is true that the EU figures reflect still modest positions for our SMEs, in recent years there has been an increasingly important interest and commitment through the increase in SMEs that already consume 100% renewable energy", indicates Ignacio Soneira, general manager of the Swiss energy group Axpo, specialized in green energy for companies.

Commitment and business opportunity

The adoption of sustainable measures by SMEs not only complies with a commitment to society, but also represents a business opportunity. Various studies indicate that 79% of consumers prefer to make purchases from sustainable companies or that almost 90% are willing to increase their purchases from environmentally responsible companies.

According to Ignacio Soneira, “environmental responsibility represents an obligation, but also a great opportunity for companies, which can and must demonstrate their environmental commitment to their customers by generating a sustainable brand image that is manifested, for example, with the consumption of green energy and in the adoption of energy efficiency measures that minimize their impact on the environment. Many times SMEs think that getting on the sustainability bandwagon is still a long way off, due to their limited resources or the costs they may incur, when it is the opposite, since they not only save money on their bill, but that communicating and promoting their responsible consumption, they see how they increase their notoriety and affinity with their customers ”.

According to Axpo internal studies, CO ₂ emissions by Spain could be reduced by 14% if Spanish SMEs consumed green energy and adopted energy efficiency measures.