Small Business Climate change information
What is the role of businesses in tackling climate change?
In the UK businesses are responsible for 17 percent of Co2 emissions, just ahead of residential emissions which account for 15 percent.
It's not just big businesses either, SMEs account for 61% of total employment. Therefore, SMEs will play a big role in reducing the carbon footprint of the business sector.
The Benefits of taking action
We all recognise the environmental benefits of taking action against climate change however it can also benefit your business too.
- Save money- investigating ways you could reduce your consumption of energy and resources use will inevitably identify potential cost saving opportunities too
- Answer customer questions- customers are becoming increasingly climate change conscious and are asking more questions of those they do business with, calculating your carbon footprint will mean you are in a much better position to answer them
- Attract new customers- as sustainability becomes a more important factor in people's spending decisions you may attract new customers through your carbon reduction efforts
Small businesses have a role in tackling climate change
Here are some of the things those local businesses can do:
Choose sustainable supplier and supply chain
As businesses implement carbon-reduction strategies internally, it is critical to consider external factors as well. You should be able to reduce your business's carbon footprint by re-evaluating suppliers based on their green track record, as well as their process and customer service.
Making smarter purchasing decisions and working with sustainable suppliers means that sustainability is prioritised throughout the supply chain.
Getting a smart meter
Smart meters are an excellent way to save energy, protect the environment, and keep your organisation's costs under control. Ask our energy provider about getting a smart meter for your local business.
Keep a track of your emissions
Local businesses can keep track of their carbon footprint at regular intervals, and you can calculate your company's carbon footprint on our website here. You can also set a climate-related target or emission reduction goal based on your company's contribution to emissions and ability to invest.
The type of target you choose for your company can be shaped by your products and manufacturing methods, as well as the sector that you work in.
Monitoring and reducing energy consumption
Turning off the lights in the office in the evening, lowering the heating or air conditioning, unplugging devices when not in use, choosing energy efficient equipment are all sustainable actions that businesses can do.
You can begin by upgrading your energy systems to LED lighting, optimising heating, and cooling systems, and installing energy-efficient products.
Your building’s energy performance certificate (EPC) can help you understand how efficient it already is and how it might be improved.
Under the latest Government regulations, landlords of non-domestic properties must ensure they have a minimum energy performance certificate rating of E. You can check the EPC for your building on the Government’s website.
Raise awareness among employees, clients and other stakeholders
Through company practices and policies around sustainability, your company can make employees aware of the importance to reducing their climate footprint.
Putting together a ‘green’ team is a great place to start with a group of enthusiastic employees who can help in identifying opportunities to improve environmental initiatives and in spreading the message throughout the organisation.
Also you can make your customers aware of your carbon-reduction policies and ways they too can reduce their own emissions
Reduce, reuse, and recycle waste
Reduce, reuse, and recycle should be applied to all aspects of your business, from packaging to office supplies to operations and supply chains. Always prioritise reducing and reusing, as these practices reduce waste.
Investing in recycled materials can have a significant impact: for example, using recycled glass requires 30% less energy than producing it with new materials, and producing new aluminium products from recycled aluminium saves more than 90% and possibly as much as 95% of the energy required to produce new metal.
Both landfill and waste incineration produce greenhouse gases, therefore the less you put in the bin, the better for the planet.
Additional climate change resources for small business
Climate adaptation toolkit and risk generator (localpartnerships.gov.uk)
The Carbon Trust have a great guide 
for SMEs on how they can understand their carbon footprints and make a plan to reduce their emissions.
Compare Green Energy Suppliers using the Big Clean Switch