Competitiveness through responsible supply chains and resource efficiency: a regional outlook

This report describes an independent analysis by the University of Derby Business School (DBS) of surveys conducted by the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce (EMCC) in 2017 and 2015. Whilst the surveys were part of the EMCC’s routine quarterly engagement with local businesses that dealt with a range of traditional business interests, this analysis focuses upon a series of questions that addressed companies’ awareness and engagement with resource efficiency and the degree to which they supply and benefit from low carbon and environmental goods and services (LCEGS). Respondents to the EMCC survey were evenly balanced across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and the three major cities therein. Similarly, there was a good balance between SMEs and larger businesses represented in the survey sample. The study shows that the number of businesses supplying low carbon and environmental goods and services (LCEGS) across the East Midlands is growing - with 24% of companies surveyed by EMCC in 2017 deriving some degree of turnover from LCEGS, compared with 16% in 2015. 12% of businesses surveyed generated more than 20% of their turnover from LCEGS in 2017, compared with only 8% of business in this category in 2015. According to the survey data, micro and small sized businesses have shown the greatest growth in LCEGS sector activity between 2015-2017. Both these categories of businesses show a significant increase in the number of businesses generating a proportion of their turnover from LCEGS (8.8% and 9.1% respectively). On the other hand, slightly more medium-sized businesses in 2017 said they derived no turnover from LCEGS (81.4%) compared with 2015 (79.7%). Whilst none of the large businesses in the sample generated their entire turnover from LCEGS in 2017, they increased the proportion of their LCEGS turnover in the 20-49% and 50-79% categories (by 9.6% and 6.1% respectively). Countering this trend, however, was a 2.6% decrease in large businesses deriving 80-100% of turnover from LCEGS. The three top manufacturing sectors in the region by contribution to the LCEGS sector in both 2015 and 2017 samples are: construction, engineering & manufacturing and the energy and water supply sectors. The top three services sectors across the region, by their contribution to the LCEGS sector are: professional services, transport and logistics, and retail sectors. Compared with other key sectors in the region, the construction sector alongside energy and water services derive the largest proportion of turnover from LCEGS. However, engineering & manufacture, transport & logistics, retail and professional services companies are all showing significant growth in LCEGS business. On average, in 2017 manufacturing sector companies generated more annual turnover from LCEGS than companies operating in the services sector. This is a 20% improvement on 2015 figures, which indicate that over the last two years more and more regional businesses in the manufacturing sectors successfully supply LCEGS. Businesses operating in the various services sector are significantly lagging behind this trend with little increase in the supply of low carbon environmental services over the last two years.

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