New research from the University of Waterloo shows that Canadian small businesses are important- and often overlooked- drivers of sustainability and the green economy.
New research from the University of Waterloo shows that Canadian small businesses are important- and often overlooked- drivers of sustainability and the green economy.
The Waterloo study, led by researcher Sarah Burch, discovered that eight out of 10 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) surveyed are already implementing sustainable business practices. SMEs make up 98.2 per cent of all businesses in Canada, representing an enormous potential force in advancing environmental health and social wellbeing in our communities.
“Big corporations often get the headlines in debates about sustainable business practices, but in reality, we’ve discovered that many small businesses see sustainability as more important than their larger counterparts,” said Sarah Burch, Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation at the University of Waterloo. “Small businesses aren’t waiting around to be told to care about the environment, they’re already doing it.”
The report, conducted by the GATE (Governing and Accelerating Transformative Entrepreneurship) research project, surveyed close to 2,000 SMEs in Toronto and Vancouver on a variety of sustainability measures including community outreach, reducing waste and supporting social justice through purchasing practices.
Read more at University of Waterloo
