Small Business Climate Action: Barriers & Bridges

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of communities and economies around the world. They make up 90% of business globally, employ 70% of the world’s workforce and contribute over 50% of global GDP. However, despite their collective impact, small businesses are often amongst the most vulnerable to change and disruption.

Rising global temperatures and weather-related disasters compound risks for businesses of all sizes. Yet, they particularly impact SMEs given their localized supply chains, centralized infrastructure, and dependence on the communities in which they operate. At the same time, SMEs have been the least equipped to mitigate their role in the climate crisis. Small businesses are facing greater risk while also potentially missing out on the benefits of building more resilient businesses and cutting costs.

The SME Climate Hub annual survey hopes to bridge this gap — helping the initiative, the We Mean Business Coalition and the broader climate and business communities understand where small business currently stands on their climate action journey. That includes the barriers that are holding up progress and the drivers that are keeping SMEs on track to cut emissions in half by 2030. It’s clear that SMEs have the will to create a better future for their business and for the planet, but reaching these goals isn’t easy. The SME Climate Hub is here to help drive progress and scale solutions

Though any one company’s impact may seem small, together small businesses are essential in driving change. Thank you to the SME leaders and all those who are passionately advocating climate action within small businesses. For those just embarking on their climate action journey, there is no better time than today to join the thousands of companies from over 100 countries in making the SME Climate Commitment. Together small businesses will transform the world.

Download the full report.

Key Survey Data