Greening your SME: how to educate your staff and find the right resources

‘Going green’ might seem like an expensive and complex process, but the global climate crisis and immediate need to reduce carbon emissions means that the transition to net zero is no longer something businesses have the luxury to ignore.

This urgency is reflected in our recent research, conducted in the wake of last year’s era defining COP26 climate change conference, which found that reducing environmental impact is a priority for almost half (45%) of SMEs in Britain. A further 44% are already actively taking steps to make their businesses greener, proving that change is already underway.

As the UK’s largest business bank, NatWest has a duty to support the country’s diverse and enterprising SME sector in tackling the imperative climate change challenge.

We’re on a mission to help businesses understand their role in the move to net zero and support them in their journey to becoming more sustainable.

Recognise your power - small changes lead to collective action

The scale of the climate emergency can often make it feel as if our individual decisions don’t have the power to make much of an impact, especially when compared to the influence of large organisations.

We’ve always recognised the power of small businesses though, and our recent Springboard to Sustainable Recovery report revealed that UK SMEs could deliver 50% of the UK’s net zero decarbonisation goals as long as they receive the necessary funding, training and access to information.

Installing confidence within your staff and making sure they understand the ability they have to implement real change can be an incredibly useful educational and motivational tool.

Climate change is never far from the current news agenda and with so much information out there, trying to find guidance and advice that’s relevant to your business can seem overwhelming. To help SMEs reach the right support, we’ve created the