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Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are defined by the European Commission as having less than 250 employees, independent (with no shareholder having over a 25% stake in the business) and with an annual turnover of no more than 50 million Euros or annual balance sheet of 43 million Euros.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://ec.europa.ec/enterprise/politices/sme/facts-figures-analysis/sme-definition/index_en.htm )〕 SMEs have been identified as a problem area in the field of environmental regulation. Whilst the individual environmental impacts of SMEs are generally small in comparison to those of large corporations, the cumulative environmental impacts of the sector are large. They also pose particular problems for environmental governance, showing little reception to new environment policy instruments (NEPIs) such as market-based instruments, voluntary agreements and informational devices. ==Problem areas== There are approximately 4.7 million businesses in the UK of which 99.7% are SMEs.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/enterprise/enterprisesmes/research-and-statistics/statistics/page38573.html )〕 The large size of the sector lends itself to the idea that environmental impacts are cumulatively large. Whilst there has been limited research into the quantitative impacts of SMEs, the Marshall Report estimates that 60% of total carbon emissions in the UK are attributable to SMEs. SMEs are also responsible for around 60% of commercial waste and 43% of all serious industrial pollution incidents.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www2.accaglobal.com/general/activities/library/small_business/sb_pubs )〕 The perception of SME environmental behaviour is generally poor. Failure to pursue eco-efficient measures has often been attributed to low levels of awareness and lack of resources. It is theorised that as the majority of SMEs serve local markets they are less likely to be exposed to international pressures or incentives, including those likely to promote eco-innovation. It has also been suggested that civil society has less concern for smaller firms’ actions, being more likely to direct their concern towards larger organisations which are seen to have the biggest impact. Whilst the 1980s and 1990s saw a shift in the perceived relationship between the environment and business practice it has only translated into actions for prominently large firms. This change in environmental business ethics stems mainly from ideas of ‘ecological modernisation', a school of thought advanced most notably by German scholars Joseph Huber and Martin Janicke. They challenged Max Weber’s theory of bureaucratic rationality. A theory which positions government as best placed to resolve environmental problems. Instead, the discourse of ecological modernisation claims that sufficient innovative capacity will come only from industry itself as it has the expertise and means to do so. This is posited with the idea of ‘steering’ industry onto more environmentally beneficial pathways through financial incentives. This shift is clearly visible in the 1980 World Conservation Strategy which pushes environmental actions from reactive to anticipatory. The shift towards thinking in terms of ‘ecological modernisation’ has also involved a movement to ‘smart’ regulatory instruments involving more reflexive forms of law (law which pushes businesses to reflect on and regulate their own practices) such as Environmental Management Systems, Environmental Reporting and Disclosure Strategies, Market-Based Instruments and the social license. The latter of these being important in Corporate Social Responsibility. Whilst ‘smart’ regulation is a promising concept, SMEs have been slow on the uptake and have generally been observed to retain a reactive approach to positive environmental actions. Research has often suggested that a more comprehensive approach will be needed to improve environmental performance in the SME sector, these are based on three distinct theoretical perspectives; * The strategic perspective highlights the importance of the way in which environmental issues are communicated and perceived by actors involved with SME governance. * The network perspective advances improving the environment from which SMEs obtain knowledge relating to new technological innovations and; * The internal competence perspective underlines a need to build the receptive capacity of SMEs in adjusting to new technological innovation. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Environmental regulation of small and medium enterprises」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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