| Rein Bouwer is project manager at the Province of Drenthe, the southern neighbour of the Province of Groningen. In the past four years the Provinces of Groningen and of Drenthe have been working together and learning from each other. During one of the meetings, Maya Janssen, project manager at the Province of Groningen, asked Rein Bouwer several questions. Photo by Maya Janssen, Province of Groningen |  |
Maya Janssen, Province of Groningen: Why is energy saving important for your region and for industrial SMEs?
Rein Bouwer, Province of Drenthe: From the national and regional governments’ point of view this is important because of our CO2 reduction goals. We also have regional ambitions for green and sustainable mobility, buildings and economy, which help us towards a higher quality of live in the region. We can't achieve these goals without the contribution of SMEs.
Maya: What are the benefits of energy saving, apart from reduced energy costs?
Rein: SMEs have different drivers to save energy. Money is usually not one of them, because of the low energy prices. But efficient and innovative companies have better chances in the future because the focus of governments and consumers will shift more and more to a green, circular, low carbon and energy efficient economy.
Maya: Does energy efficiency has an impact on the public image of an industrial SME?
Rein: Yes, of course. And this will only increase in the future. The focus of the national government is on buildings and houses while the industry and SME's use a lot more energy and fossil fuels. House owners have to invest a lot of their own money in energy saving and have the feeling that companies have to do less. Companies, therefore, have to take the initiative to tell their suppliers and consumers that they are also taking responsibility. Only this way they will have a future in a low carbon economy.
Maya: In your opinion, are good practices in energy saving transferable between the regions and countries in the EU?
Rein: Yes, in general. Of course, there are cultural and economic differences. Yet it is helpful and important to know and share what the different EU members are doing.
Maya: What are the most important incentives for SMEs to invest in the energy efficiency measures?
Rein: To be compliant with the national environmental law, to have a “green” image, to be a reliable chain partner with corporate social responsibility.
Especially corporate social responsibility, because this is something many companies want to be associated with, because it gives them a “greener” image.
The financial incentives appeal only to the biggest industrial companies; for them the energy costs constitute a large percentage of their total costs.
Maya: Which existing energy policies towards SMEs in your region are, in your opinion, the most efficient? And which policies from other regions could be implemented in your region?
Rein: The first question is, what is efficient? Is this only how much money you invest versus the amount of CO2 reduction you achieve?
Our policy, the Climate Route, which started in 2017, financed energy scans and helped companies take the right measures. The costs in the past years were EUR 350.000. Up to now a reduction of 7.000 tons of CO2/year has been realized and this will increase in the next years, because not all companies have taken all the measures yet. Also, these companies are now more likely to take extra measures because they know more about energy efficiency and what it can bring them.
Last, but certainly not least, the measures taken by SMEs resulted in investments in the local economy worth EUR 9 million! For us this was, and is, a successful and positive approach.
Also, the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe are working together to approach business-parks (through their park management), to assess their energy usage and their potential for solar panels. Business-parks are already better organised, so it is an efficient way to reach many companies at once and stimulate them to work together.
Interview conducted by Maya Janssen, Province of Groningen, on the 13th of August 2020.
