To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide help for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises to become more environmentally sustainable.
Answered on
29 November 2021
Businesses have significant power to drive change towards achieving the UK’s domestic net zero goal. In order to underline the importance of this area, this year the Government led the Race to Zero campaign targeting small and microbusinesses across the UK. 2,362 have joined the Race to Zero to date.
Many businesses across the UK have said they want to tackle climate change, but that they are unsure how to start this process. Through the small business campaign, the Government has taken an important step towards making net zero relevant to SMEs by helping businesses access the support they need. Following COP26, the Government will continue to support UK businesses to meet their net zero commitments, including exploring a government-led digital advice service that consolidates and simplifies advice, funding, and other support on net zero.
The Government will also look to consult stakeholders on the Small Business Energy Efficiency Scheme (SBEES) later this year. The scheme will aim to remove barriers for SMEs in accessing energy efficiency measures, drive forward better buildings performance and help SMEs to meet regulatory standards.