TORONTO, Canada — A survey of small business owners across Canada has found broad acceptance of green initiatives, although energy efficiency remains the top focus for most firms.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the Royal Bank of Canada, found 46 percent of companies have already implemented a green plan, with another 6 percent about to launch an initiative.

Of those companies that have already launched projects, 63 percent said they are likely to focus on reducing their energy use, while 31 percent are focusing on getting their products or services certified to a green standard.

A surprising finding from the survey is that green initiatives undertaken by SMEs are low-cost: 59 percent say they've spent less than $500 on green projects for the past two years, although as their companies grow the amount spent on those projects increases.

"Some small business owners think they have to spend a lot of money to implement these strategies, but that's not the case: you can start by taking small steps and then build from there," Mike Michell, the national director for small business at RBC, said in a statement.

Among the other findings of the survey:

Small business owners in Alberta are most likely to include recycling as part of a green strategy (94 percent);
Ontario's small businesses are more likely to build a plan around producing and selling green products and services (26 percent); and
Quebecois SMEs are the most likely to focus on water use and pollution prevention (36 percent)

The Royal Bank of Canada has created an online resource center for greening small business; the company has laid out how to get started and some of the benefits of the greening of small businesses. 

"Going green helps companies build goodwill with customers, employees, shareholders and the general public," Jim Hart, RBC's national manager for Green Client Strategy, said in a statement. "We understand that taking the first step toward sustainability can be overwhelming for some businesses owners; but it's a step worth taking. The key is committing to act -- and then beginning the journey."