Understanding the adaptive capacity of Australian small-to-medium enterprises to climate change and variability

Kuruppu, N; Murta, J; Mukheibir, P; Chong, J; Brennan, T

Understanding the adaptive capacity of Australian small-to-medium enterprises to climate change and variability

Kuruppu, N Murta, J Mukheibir, P

Chong, J Brennan, T

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Publisher:: National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
Publication Type:: Report
Citation:: Understanding the adaptive capacity of Australian small-to-medium enterprises to climate change and variability, 2013
Issue Date:: 2013-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Kuruppu, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Murta, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Mukheibir, P https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7876-1705	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Chong, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Brennan, T	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Understanding the adaptive capacity of Australian small-to-medium enterprises to climate change and variability, 2013	en_US
dc.identifier.isbn	978-1-925039-07-8	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29686
dc.description.abstract	Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise 96 per cent of all private businesses in Australia. The SME sector is the economys largest employer and the largest contributor to GDP. Moreover, SMEs play a significant role within socio-economic systems: they provide employment, goods and services and tax revenue for communities. Climate change may result in adverse business outcomes including business interruptions, increased investment and insurance costs, and declines in financial indicators such as measures of value, return and growth. After natural disasters, SMEs face greater short-term losses than larger enterprises, and may have lower adaptive capacity for various reasons. This study examines the underlying factors and processes shaping adaptive capacity of Australian SMEs to climate change and associated sea level rise. Specifically, the research asks the following questions: 1) How have SMEs considered and integrated adaptation into business planning? 2) What are the key underlying processes that constrain and influence the adaptive capacities of SMEs? and 3) What types of support are required to promote SME business continuity under a changing climate? The study adopts theories from Political Ecology and draws on literature on vulnerability and hazards to understand the processes that mediate the adaptive capacity of SMEs. The empirical research involved an online survey targeting SMEs, attending business engagement events hosted by chambers of commerce, 30 semi-structured interviews with secondary stakeholders, five case studies involving SMEs and secondary stakeholders, and finally a stakeholder workshop which brought together participants from both groups	en_US
dc.publisher	National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Understanding the adaptive capacity of Australian small-to-medium enterprises to climate change and variability	en_US
dc.title	Understanding the adaptive capacity of Australian small-to-medium enterprises to climate change and variability	en_US
dc.type	Report
utslib.for	0502 Environmental Science and Management	en_US
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - ISF - Institute for Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.confidential	false	en_US

Abstract:

Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise 96 per cent of all private businesses in Australia. The SME sector is the economys largest employer and the largest contributor to GDP. Moreover, SMEs play a significant role within socio-economic systems: they provide employment, goods and services and tax revenue for communities. Climate change may result in adverse business outcomes including business interruptions, increased investment and insurance costs, and declines in financial indicators such as measures of value, return and growth. After natural disasters, SMEs face greater short-term losses than larger enterprises, and may have lower adaptive capacity for various reasons. This study examines the underlying factors and processes shaping adaptive capacity of Australian SMEs to climate change and associated sea level rise. Specifically, the research asks the following questions: 1) How have SMEs considered and integrated adaptation into business planning? 2) What are the key underlying processes that constrain and influence the adaptive capacities of SMEs? and 3) What types of support are required to promote SME business continuity under a changing climate? The study adopts theories from Political Ecology and draws on literature on vulnerability and hazards to understand the processes that mediate the adaptive capacity of SMEs. The empirical research involved an online survey targeting SMEs, attending business engagement events hosted by chambers of commerce, 30 semi-structured interviews with secondary stakeholders, five case studies involving SMEs and secondary stakeholders, and finally a stakeholder workshop which brought together participants from both groups

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29686