What is the impact? An evaluation of data collection for climate policy effectiveness analyses from the perspective of SMEs.

Abstract

In order to address the environmental pressures that firms pose on society, policies are created to internalize the environmental costs. There are many different types of policies to choose from, which each affect firms in a different way. The question remains: Which policy is most effective? As most of the current policy effectiveness analyses are focused on large industrial firms and single policy programs or instruments, the literature does not provide insight into the data is needed in order to conduct a mixed policy effectiveness analysis of climate policies that target SMEs. This research aims to establish which data can be used to measure the determinants that represent the impact of climate policies, whether other characteristics of SMEs influence that measurement unit and whether this data can be obtained through public sources. The research is conducted through a case study of energy policies that are in effect in Rotterdam by the end of 2010. Through a survey by phone, data is collected on the topics energy use, energy reduction measures and energy policies. The results provide insight into the use of data on energy reduction measures as a measurement unit for determinants of climate policies, the limitations and opportunities of data collection on energy use of SMEs, the actors that need to be included in the data collection and the climate policy awareness of SMEs.