Promotion of resource efficiency within SMEs in Central Europe: a pilot study of the EDIT Value Tool : master thesis

This master thesis deals with the evaluation of the analysis tool EDIT Value (Eco-innovation Diagnosis and Implementation Tool for Increase of Enterprise Value) with respect to the tool's pilot phase. The tool developed in the course of the EU project PRESOURCE (Promotion of Resource Efficiency in SMEs in Central Europe) to reveal potentials for increasing resource efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was tested in different SMEs within the six partner countries of PRESOURCE. The companies as well as the consultants implementing the tool were interviewed on their experiences with EDIT Value, thus providing the basis for the evaluation of the tool. To facilitate a structured interview one questionnaire each for the companies and the consultants was compiled addressing the questions of interests; whether the tool in fact succeeds in revealing potentials for increasing resource efficiency, whether it works holistically and need-driven as intended, whether unforeseen challenges occurred and after all how the tool was accepted by the companies and the consultants. On basis of the feedback from the companies and consultants eventually improvement measures regarding the tool were developed. To establish the theoretical framework for the work with EDIT Value, the relevance of resource efficiency in the face of increasing resource consumption and other resource-related risks are broached in this thesis – in economic and environmental, but also in social terms to some extent. Respective countermeasures and action approaches to promote resource efficiency are furthermore presented, including political strategies like Europe 2020. Furthermore, resource efficiency is brought into context with SMEs to indicate why the EDIT Value approach addressing SMEs in particular is sensible.