Tax Incentives Needed to Drive Adoption of Low-Carbon Equipment in the U.S.

Environmental Leader - Sixty-three percent of U.S. companies believe government tax breaks are needed to accelerate the adoption of green investments, according to a global survey by workspace solutions provider Regus. A key finding shows that operating costs are very important to 37 percent of U.S. companies that said they would only invest in low-carbon equipment if it were cheaper or the same to operate as conventional equipment. Sixty-three percent of companies said if government offered tax incentives to invest in energy-efficient or low-carbon equipment, they would significantly accelerate their green investments.
In the U.S., the survey finds that only 13 percent of companies monitor their carbon footprint and 27 percent monitor their energy consumption. Seventy-six percent had no company policy to invest in energy-efficient equipment.

This survey supports CDW’s study last year that found that firms were emphasizing lower cost as a means of realizing short-term benefits to the bottom line, and overlooking long-term savings that come with more expensive but more energy-efficient computer equipment.

Nineteen states have set energy-efficiency improvement targets and 29 states have goals for increased renewable energy use, but Regus says these targets do not consider the reality of low-carbon equipment adoption at smaller companies.