8th European Forum on Eco-Innovation,Bilbao, Spain April 2010 Making Eco-Innovation happen in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Speaker Name - Speaker Title - Country Bart Jan Krouwel The Netherlands Financing of Eco-Innovation

Why is CSR also important for SMEs? The continuity (survival) of life on our Planet Earth is in danger: we need new solutions for all kind of problems on social, ecological and economic aspects; As citizens, in our private life as well as in our functional roles, we are responsible for the continuity of life on Mother Earth.

How can Eco-Innovation help us to save Mother Earth? We need another way of thinking and acting as citizens (Private individuals); The priority has to be: avoiding causes of problems instead of figthing the consequences of our own behaviour / attitude

For example: We are fighting the consequences of climate change instead of avoiding the causes (i.e. producing less CO 2 - emission)

Financing of Eco-Innovation for SMEs: what could be the role of the financial sector to support this?

1)Developing new products and services for their clients: *The green financing scheme: why is this instrument only available in The Netherlands?! This scheme should also be implemented in other EU-member states……(recommendation!); *Green mortgages; *Commercial charity savings accounts; *Trading in carbon credits;

2)Partnering in covenants, alliances, partnerships (PPPs) for achieving more Eco-Innovations for SMEs! This means stimulating different initiatives in different sectors, o.a. for sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, sustainable mobility (electric transport!) etc.

Important tools and lessons learned (recommendations) for SMEs to have success in Eco-Innovation 1)Try to be frontrunner instead of follower in developing new markets by selling products and services related to Eco-Innovations! This means commercial advantage…..;

2)If citizens, as consumers, are using their market power, they can play an important role in changing market positions, also for SMEs….. The financial sector can use this market power for setting up (new) sustainable / ethical investment funds, o.a. for the SME-sector;

3)Try to involve line-organisations in your own sector to initiate, to organise and to implement Eco- Innovation activities for your sector. Join each other within a sector to create strength! 4)Use informal investors to support you, not only with risk money (seed capital), but also as a coach, as a kind of Godfather. Often these informal investors are succesfull entrepreneurs with a lot of experience in doing good business. Let they help you!

5)Set up partnerships with governments / authorities, societal organisations / NGOs and the business sector (expecially the financial sector) to achieve common goals in relation to Eco- Innovation; 6)As SMEs utilize the co-operative more as business- model, expecially for new ideas, to involve a.o. citizens as members / your partners. By this way of entrepreneurial behaviour you can share risks and create more support by customers.

Conclusions: 1)Eco-Innovation is attractive, can bring you more (new) business and profit, but you have to be a real entrepreneur, creative and looking for co-operation with congeners…..; 2)SMEs need specific (new) finance tools: the financial sector, together with governments / authorities, could provide them.