Friday newspaper round-up: Small businesses, ethical products, ports, Credit Suisse

(Sharecast News) - The viability of thousands of small businesses is at risk as escalating energy costs take their toll on companies just as they try to recover from Covid restrictions, according to a stark warning from their federation. Small businesses, which employ almost 13 million people in the UK, are expected to feel the brunt of crippling energy costs in the coming weeks as firms begin to strike new fixed-term deals amid record high energy market prices across Europe. - Guardian Britons' annual spending on ethical products and investments has surpassed £100bn for the first time, as lifestyle changes linked to Covid and the climate crisis stoked demand for plant-based foods, secondhand clothes and furniture, and greener gadgets. The value of the "green" pound surged by nearly a quarter to £122bn in 2020, according to a new Co-op report covering the most recent year for which figures are available. That total was bolstered by £57bn of ethical savings and investments. - Guardian

Ports and border officials are deploying thousands of extra staff for the New Year in a bid to avoid a wave of disruption sparked by post-Brexit trading rules that come into force on January 1. Industry leaders, HMRC and UK Border Force are scrambling to prepare for long queues of lorries as full customs checks take effect for the first time since the country left the European Union. - Telegraph

Terry Smith, one of Britain's best-known fund managers, is in line for a payout of up to £150m after bets on tech giants including Microsoft and Facebook paid off. He took a £35.7m payout for the year to March, or a 62pc share of profits at his business Fundsmith, after the bottom line rose by almost a fifth to £57.7m, company filings show. - Telegraph

More than 100 local authorities across Britain are pursuing legal action against European truck manufacturers including Volvo and Daimler over £450 million of alleged losses incurred from a price-fixing cartel. Authorities ranging from Basildon borough council in Essex to Carmarthenshire county council and North Tyneside council, as well as 22 fire and rescue services, are seeking compensation five years after the European Commission ruled that Daimler, Volvo, DAF, Iveco and MAN colluded over 14 years to fix prices. - The Times

The former boss of Lloyds Banking Group faces fresh scrutiny of his conduct after he reportedly broke UK quarantine rules in the summer to attend the Wimbledon tennis tournament. It would mark the second time that António Horta-Osório, who is the chairman of Credit Suisse, breached a country's coronavirus restrictions. - The Times