ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the dissemination of information to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in relation to the networks in which they participate. It explores some of the important factors, drawing on a study of business responses to environmental change carried out at Leeds University, United Kingdom (UK), from 1996–1998. The UK Environment Minister, Michael Meacher, has announced a new environment and energy telephone help-line, which provides information and advice for SMEs. In 1992 the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment recommended establishing a number of green business clubs, and 11 of these were subsequently set up, jointly funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry and the then UK Department of Environment. The possibility of using supply chains to create pressure on businesses, for instance by buyers demanding environmental statements or environmental management system certification from suppliers, has come to the fore as a strategy for greening businesses.
