New UK SME Emissions Standard to Simplify Data Sharing

📢 Launch Announcement: A New UK SME Emissions Standard to Reduce Data Burden and Unlock Green Finance. Today, to kick off London Climate Action Week, The SME Data Taskforce, convened by B4NZ and The Broadway Initiative are proud to unveil a major milestone for small business sustainability in the UK. Our new report 'From Burden to Benefit: Streamlining SME Data Sharing to Unlock Green Finance & Economic Incentives', introduces the UK SME Voluntary Emissions Standard: a practical, proportionate standard to simplify how small and medium-sized enterprises share emissions data. 🌍 With SMEs making up over 90% of UK businesses and contributing nearly 50% of industrial emissions, it’s clear they must be at the heart of the net zero transition. Yet growing, inconsistent data demands from banks, buyers, and regulators are placing an unsustainable burden on these businesses. The new Standard, backed by 50+ organisations across finance, business, and civil society introduces: ✅ A “create once, share many” model for sustainability data ✅ A clear, consistent format aligned with procurement and finance systems ✅ A four-point data quality scale for trusted emissions reporting The Net Zero Council has acknowledged the importance of this work and its alignment with international frameworks, setting the stage for market-wide adoption. 🗣️ "SMEs are the backbone of our economy, but the current system asks too much from them and delivers too little in return," said Hannah Cool, COO of B4NZ and Co-Chair of the Taskforce. "This Standard flips that dynamic, unlocking trusted data, access to green finance, and future-fit supply chains." 📍 We are pleased to be marking today’s launch with a high-level roundtable and reception at the House of Commons, bringing together leaders from government, finance, and industry. This summer, the Standard will enter a national consultation phase. We invite all stakeholders, from FTSE 250 companies to SME leaders to join us in shaping a simpler, more inclusive system for sustainability data sharing. 💬 Help us turn sustainability data from a burden into a benefit for SMEs and build the infrastructure needed for a low-carbon, high-opportunity economy. Read the full report now: https://lnkd.in/ewwpFuyk