It is difficult to escape the burden of energy costs. Horrified by the inflated energy bills landing on their desks, or made to feel increasingly guilty about leaving a computer on stand-by, business owners are having to face up to their own energy usage like never before.

The government's view is that our energy usage is now directly linked to polar bears drowning in the Artic Circle. Something must be done, but what? One option is to blame it all on the business community and tax it into lower energy usage.

Fortunately, the European Commission is promoting an alternative vision. It wants to activate citizens and co-opt them into a grass-roots campaign that would see us change our habits out of choice rather than coercion.

The Sustainable Energy Partnership (www.sustenergy.org) is open to businesses that are currently implementing, or planning to implement, energy saving measures. This can be anything from using energy efficient light bulbs to investing in hybrid forms of transport.

Unlike other government initiatives, the campaign is a voluntary commitment, without inspectors or audits. It is in no way legally binding, all the Commission asks is that partners pledge to make good on their promises. In return, partners get to use the Sustainable Energy logo to demonstrate that they are doing their bit to halt climate change.

This might all sound rather wishy-washy, but the Commission's campaign is about changing long-standing habits and empowering individuals to take charge of their energy use—and pass on good practice to each other.

Going green has gone beyond trendy; it is now a must for businesses that want to be taken seriously by their customers. The Sustainable Energy Partnership is a pretty good way of flaunting your green credentials without having to fill out piles of forms and submit yourself to endless audits. What's more, it might even help curb global warming.