Net Zero: Small businesses are willing – let’s enable them Together

I am continuously encouraged by the growing discourse about small business since the start of the pandemic. It feels like the world has woken up to the incredible role these plucky, innovative, caring and courageous businesses play in every day of our lives. This was of course a growing trend before the crisis started, but naturally, most people were busy living their lives and often oblivious to those things going on around them, taking for granted the nuts and bolts of how that all came together.

With the advent of lockdowns and a fundamental change to how we lived our lives, whether that turns out to be temporary or more permanent, the small business role has been highlighted like never before. The recognition of their critical role, and the vast impact of their actions, has rung out at a time when we are looking at the global impact of our actions and choices, not just for COVID but for climate change too.

Our research with BT Skills For Tomorrow, out today, shows that nearly half of small businesses (47%) have increased their focus on sustainability because of COVID, a legacy of a terrible era that might just pay dividends for the whole planet in the future. It is not something small businesses need to be convinced of either – 99% of small businesses see sustainability as important to their business in some form.

Most small businesses in the UK are of course micro businesses – many one person bands and sole traders – and as such can feel powerless in the face of something as big as climate change. But what COVID has taught us is that small actions taken by a lot of people can add up to a big impact. By working together, by joining the global Race To Zero, small businesses can have a very big impact indeed.

Race to Zero is a way of all businesses around the world to work together to commit to a net zero impact on the planet – moving towards a world where we all take control of our carbon emissions and commit to being a positive influence on the world around us. Race To Zero is really a rallying cry that today has been supercharged by Government launching its own small business campaign: Together for our Planet. For me, the most important word here is Together. Individually we are very small, but together we can and will make a huge difference.

The big challenge that remains though is how to get there. For me, committing to the goal is absolutely the most important first thing. Now we need to help small businesses move forward and deliver on it. 77% of businesses told us that they need more help and support to achieve net zero – so we are going to help them get it. This is absolutely what our Small Business Planet campaign is here to do – and there is a huge amount of support out there to help businesses on their way.   

BT is running a range of climate change webinars – all totally free to attend – so do go and check them out to help your business on its way. https://www.bt.com/skillsfortomorrow/events

I am excited about this journey. I think we can achieve a lot as small businesses. I think we will achieve a lot. I think that action on climate change has taken a supercharge from the pandemic, and the next year will be an exciting time for coming together to solve global issues.

Do you want to work with us to be part of Small Business Planet? If so get in touch! hello@smallbusinessbritain.uk

#smallbusiness #sustainability #netzero #entrepreneur #skillsfortomorrow