European cleantech suppliers falling behind?

Eighty percent of European companies say they have cleantech purchasing policies in place, but many aren't following through because of confusion around the sector, according to a new study.

The Come Clean Report surveyed 400 senior purchasing decision-makers in France, Germany Spain and the UK, with 29 percent saying they receive no information from cleantech suppliers.

An additional 26 percent said they received too little information to make decisions, while 11 percent said the information was too complicated. Six percent said they didn't see the business benefit of adopting clean technologies, the report said.

The news comes as 24 percent of the purchasing decision-makers said they have short-term plans to increase green procurement, with an additional 60 percent planning to maintain their pre-recession levels of spending, according to the study. Among the countries surveyed, the biggest growth in green procurement is expected to come in Spain and France.

"There’s a strong and growing intention to purchase cleantech products and services," said Michelle McGlocklin, managing director of Weber Shandwick Technology, in a news release about the study. "Competitive advantage will clearly lie with companies that can communicate the benefits of their products and services in a compelling way."

Forty-three percent of respondents indicated that the CEO or board members were driving adoption of cleantech, indicating a potential target for suppliers' campaigns, the report said.

The report came from KRC Research and Weber Shandwick, both units of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG).

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