Gerry Murphy, Enterprise Ireland director of international sales and partnering, last week told an informal gathering of senior business executives at the Irish embassy in London that opportunity is ripe in the literal "build-up" to the Olympics, and Irish companies should bring environmental services knowledge to bear across several sectors.

Murphy said his mission was to raise the profile of Irish companies in Britain, particularly in terms of waste management and recycling, waste water treatment, energy, and environmental services.

"There are major infrastructural projects under way here with tight deadlines. The drive for energy efficiency and sustainability with these projects means Irish subcontractors with the skills and experience should be in a good competitive position."

The British market is worth an estimated �25bn, and is growing at 5% a year.

"With Irish firms being very competitive in this sector they would be foolish to ignore the opportunity for growth that the UK presents, " said Emanuel Carvalho, senior market adviser with Enterprise Ireland.

The consensus among British industry guests of ambassador Daithi O Ceallaigh . . . including local authority procurers, investors, academics and environment correspondents . . . was that Irish companies are increasingly viewed as innovators in areas of green energy, environmental supply chain management, and environmentally sound construction.

The Irish government is also looked upon as a green leader, and the early adoption of the WEEE directive, plastic bag levy, smoking ban and domestic refuse separation policies were held to be an advantage for Irish companies in terms of adapting to the new, greener paradigm for business.

The former director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and economic adviser to the Sustainable Development Commission, Adair Turner, told the audience there were opportunities across all British sectors for Irish companies. In particular he singled out manufacturing with its process revolution;

property and construction, because of new UK energy efficiency rules; and retail, where refrigeration and supply chains need to be 'greened'.

Turner, a contributor to the seminal 2006 Stern Review on the economics of climate change, said the British government needed to make the production of CO2 emissions more expensive for businesses, pursue direct regulation in areas where a price lever won't change consumer behaviour . . . such as placing a levy on energy-inefficient lightbulbs . . . and set believable environmental policy targets.

"You should be arguing for very tight environmental controls to create opportunity, " Turner said.

"Ireland has pursued this path of tighter environmental standards."

Several Irish business people attending the event suggested acquiring or partnering British companies was the best approach rather than setting up new concerns which would compete with indigenous firms.

Alan Ellard, chairman of environmental subcontractor Radon Ireland, has bought a 25% equity stake in Uxbridge-based Protim Services, which specialises in damp-proofing and timber treatments.

"Forming an association with a British firm is the best route because they have the business infrastructure in place such as facilities, staff and local knowledge. It's the best way of hitting the road running."