The second wave of Amárach research, conducted for the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment surveyed over 344 businesses to identify the factors that motivate small and micro enterprises to become more sustainable.
Key findings of the survey:
- 85% of businesses say sustainability is important to their business on a day-to-day basis, maintaining the high levels recorded in the 2024 research.
- Businesses said that making a positive difference (35%) and saving money (34%) were the top motivations in becoming sustainable.
- Just over a quarter of business say that climate change is currently affecting their operations, rising significantly among larger firms and those operating for more than 20 years.
- Most sustainability action is concentrated in practical, cost-effective areas: waste reduction (49%), energy efficiency (44%), and renewable energy adoption (33%).
- The main barrier for organisations to act more sustainably remained upfront investment costs (22%), although at a lower rate compared to the 2024 survey.