MSEs aware of climate change but unsure on mitigation

First published February 4, 2014

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are aware of climate change but are unsure how it affects their business or how to mitigate the impacts, a new study is discovering.

A James Cook University researcher is asking MSEs to voice their concerns about climate change and the effectiveness of different strategies in helping businesses to adapt.

Dr Anna Blackman, Senior Lecturer in Management at JCU, said her research aimed to assist MSEs in Townsville to evaluate the effectiveness of climate change intervention strategies and to adopt more effective climate change responses.

Dr Blackman said micro businesses were defined as having one to four employees and small businesses had five to 19 employees.

“MSEs play an important role in the local economy and provide employment for a large proportion of the population, providing a wide range of goods and services,” Dr Blackman said.

“MSEs are especially important in tropical regions where they make up a larger proportion of private enterprises and most likely supply manufacturing, construction, tourism and retail products as well as fishing and agriculture.”

Dr Blackman said MSEs were affected by climate change.

“While each individual MSE may have limited impact on the environment and the communities where they are located, cumulatively they can have a significant impact,” she said.

“While there are climate change response strategies and government assistance available to MSEs, they have been reluctant to adopt them.

“Many of the government climate change initiatives have not been successful.”

Dr Blackman said research to date had almost exclusively been focused on measuring owner-manager awareness of, and concern about environmental issues. It had also concentrated on identifying the barriers to, and incentives for, adoption of more effective climate change responses.

Dr Blackman said the research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of climate change intervention strategies and to adopt more effective climate change responses.

“The expected outcomes of the research will help to develop and implement a free business coaching program for MSEs in Townsville.”

To be part of the study, contact Anna Blackman on (07) 4781 4100 or email: anna.blackman@jcu.edu.au

If you are a Micro or Small Enterprise in Townsville and you did not receive an invitation to complete the survey, please scan the QR Code to share your views on Climate Change.

JCU Media contact: Caroline Kaurila (07) 4781 4586 or 0437 028 175