American Sustainable Business Council Poll Report: Small Business Owners' Views on Climate and Energy Policy Reform
In 2014, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) is continuing its polling of small business owners nationwide, and has covered several different policy areas including climate change. This report highlights the perspective of smaller employers on the effects of future impacts of climate change on their business.
The ASBC findings are based on the results of a scientific, national phone survey of 555 owners of small businesses (2 to 99 employees) conducted in June 2014. The survey found that clear majorities of small business owners are concerned about how climate change will affect their companies, including its impact on energy costs, health care costs and their infrastructure.
According to the report, about 87 percent of small-business owners cited one or more expected impacts of climate change as potentially harmful to their businesses. More than half of all business owners (53 percent) believe climate change will adversely affect their business. Of that, 19 percent - nearly one in five - say that extreme weather events associated with climate change already have affected their operations.
These survey results counter the argument that the business community generally resists action on climate change. It found the opposite, with small business owners particularly concerned about climate change’s impact on their bottom line. The most commonly mentioned concern was higher energy costs, while higher health care costs also ranked among the top five concerns. Extraordinary storms and more frequent power outages impacting the ability to operate also made the top of the list.
Beyond weather concerns, about 57 percent of the entrepreneurs said they would like to see the largest carbon emitters make the biggest reductions in emissions - and bear most of the costs involved in reducing carbon pollution.
Publication Date: June 24, 2014
Related Organizations:
- American Sustainable Business Council
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