Whilst there is a growing body of evidence relating to the environmental capabilities, eco innovation, sustainable supply chains and green skills of individual SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), much less attention has been paid to networked approaches to pro-environmental and sustainable SME support. The empirical studies that do exist mostly take a firm-centric approach. This study takes a network centric view to describe hitherto under-explored features of network functionality based on case analysis of a single business support network in the East Midlands of the UK. The resulting conceptual framework offers an analytical tool that can be used to study network functionality in the service of pro-environmental SME development more widely. Empirical data for this case analysis of a regional ‘low carbon’ business network is drawn from interviews with 25 stakeholders, analysis of programme level data and documentation, ‘insider’ observation of network activity and evidence from both independent and internal evaluations. The study charts key aspects of network provision and its impact upon SMEs and wider stakeholders. The paper then presents a conceptual model of pro-environmental business networking that identifies key internal features of network activity as well as various external drivers of multi-stakeholder engagement in the shift to a more sustainable local economy.

中文翻译：

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为业务网络建立一个以经验为基础的概念框架，作为有利于环境的业务增长的机制

尽管越来越多的证据表明个体中小企业（中小型企业）的环境能力、生态创新、可持续供应链和绿色技能，但对有利于环境和可持续发展的网络方法的关注却少之又少。中小企业支持。现有的实证研究大多采用以企业为中心的方法。本研究基于对英国东米德兰兹单一业务支持网络的案例分析，采用以网络为中心的观点来描述迄今为止尚未充分探索的网络功能特征。由此产生的概念框架提供了一个分析工具，可用于研究网络功能，以更广泛地服务于环保中小企业的发展。用于区域“低碳”商业网络案例分析的经验数据来自对 25 个利益相关者的访谈、对项目级数据和文档的分析、对网络活动的“内部”观察以及来自独立和内部评估的证据。该研究描绘了网络供应的关键方面及其对中小企业和更广泛的利益相关者的影响。然后，本文提出了一个环保商业网络的概念模型，该模型确定了网络活动的关键内部特征以及多利益相关者参与向更可持续的当地经济转型的各种外部驱动因素。