Innovations can contribute to consolidating the market power of enterprises or to establishing new markets. Ecological innovations though have a wider meaning. They should promote an ecological structural change towards sustainability. Management decisions are influenced by different stakeholders and have, particularly in small and medium enterprises a great innovative potential. The implementation of a concept of ecological innovations is feasible in many areas and ought not be restricted to technology, processes and products. The role of environmental protection within the goals of enterprises and its relation to other objectives is of great significance. Based on interviews the study identifies to which extent ecological innovations have been established in practice. Both will be considered: the implementation and the relation to the other objectives. Obstacles in the way of implementation and the risks involved are discussed, too.