In France, according to 2018 figures from INSEE, there are almost 4 million small and medium-sized enterprises. However, to end net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as decided in the European Green Pact, the involvement of these SMEs in the ecological transition is essential. However, some of them appear as “bad students”. In question ? The nature of their activity, which prevents them from fully embracing this path, can be read in an article by Sustainable information†
They are heads of a rescue company for helicopters, roof maintenance and maintenance or even tourist trains. These leaders, 700 in total, met in Lyon in early April for a day dedicated to the ecological transition of SME ETIs, all organized by Bpifrance, describes the report published on the site Sustainable information†
The ecological transition, a “must have” for SMEs
For example, at the head of a tourist train company, Isabelle Raes cites certain difficulties related to the switch to electric, but also to the lack of subsidies for its sector of activity:
“Some electric trains are not powerful enough for certain types of circuits, for example on steep slopes”, she told AFP. But the leader wants to remain optimistic: “the transition is now and we need to commit”† A direct reference to the publication of the third part of the IPCC report in which UN climate experts show that a “rapid” reduction in CO2 emissions is needed to limit global warming in all sectors.
Quoted by L’Info sustainable, Anne Guérin, director of financing, the network and the climate plan at Bpifrance, assures for her part: “The transition is really a matter of survival for businesses because today, even if not all customers are willing to pay the extra cost of a green offering, tomorrow it will be a must-have”†