Government backed advisory body the Carbon Trust has released new research into enterprise views on energy waste, claiming that 41 per cent of companies intend to cut their carbon footprint this year.

The organisation polled businesses on their biggest worries for 2010, and found that 68 per cent are concerned about the state of the economy, half about tax rises, and just under half about possible energy price increases.

Some 41 per cent said that they plan to cut energy use this year, but the Carbon Trust warned that companies may be stymied by their internal processes.

"The research highlighted a concerning lack of ownership of the issue among many businesses. In 32 per cent of cases energy management fell into the remit of the owner or managing director.

"A worrying one in 10 admitted that no one within their organisation is responsible for managing energy consumption and controlling costs."

In light of the findings, the Carbon Trust has launched a Best Advice campaign in association with business software giant Sage, which is designed to help companies make sense of their carbon commitments, and put them in the best position to make changes.

"It is simply good business sense to be smarter about the way we use energy. It cuts costs, makes us more efficient and improves our reputation with customers," said Ian Cheshire, group chief executive of B&Q parent Kingfisher.

"I would encourage any business that has yet to embark on the energy efficiency journey to pick up the phone and book a Carbon Trust survey. It is likely to be the best piece of free advice a business will get this year."

The Carbon Survey is free for all businesses spending between £50,000 and £3m on energy each year.