Sustainability for SMEs: a Mechanism for Growth
In the race to net zero, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are both vital players and vulnerable participants. According to The Willow Review, spearheaded by the Minister for Small Business and Trade and the Minister of State at DESNZ, SMEs account for 50% of UK business carbon emissions, yet many remain unsure of how to begin their sustainability journey.
One in three SMEs report not knowing where to start, and many feel overwhelmed by the complexity of sustainability guidance and the fragmented support landscape. For SMEs, engaging in sustainability considerations and reporting can mean the difference between staying stagnant, and taking your business to the next level.
Why SMEs Struggle to Start
The Willow Review found that SMEs are motivated by sustainability, especially when it leads to cost savings, customer attraction, and employee retention. In fact, 56% of SMEs cite cost savings, through reduced energy use and waste, as their primary driver for sustainability efforts.
But despite these benefits, barriers persist:
Upfront investment costs are daunting.
Lack of control over rented premises limits action.
Information overload makes it hard to know what’s trustworthy or relevant.
Funding and support are difficult to navigate.
This creates a landscape where sustainability feels out of reach for many SMEs, even when the business case is strong.
Sustainability can feel out of reach for many SMEs, even when the business case is strong
Clear, Practical Steps: The 5-Point Plan
The Willow Review offers a helpful 5-point plan for SMEs to focus on areas with the greatest sustainability impact:
- Switch to sustainable materials
- Reduce travel and optimise logistics
- Minimise waste
- Take action on energy efficiency and green energy
- Partner with sustainable suppliers and customers
These are tangible, achievable steps but SMEs need holistic, proactive support to implement them effectively. This gap between ambition and action is precisely where Accelar's Sustainability Business Tracker comes in to help.
Bridging the Gap with the Sustainability Business Tracker
That’s where our Sustainability Business Tracker makes a difference.
Designed for SMEs and organisations with large SME supply chains, the SBT helps businesses:
- Assess, evaluate and benchmark sustainability performance against industry standards
- Identify strategic areas to target their sustainability efforts
- Integrate sustainability to enhance business performance, culture and growth
Beyond Carbon Counting
The Sustainability Business Tracker simplifies your journey and builds confidence in sustainable investment
Go beyond carbon for a holistic approach
Our Tracker includes broader sustainability metrics and practical guidance for embedding sustainability into your business culture and activities. These include energy considerations, alignment to industry standards.
Whether you're an SME looking to take your first steps or a large business aiming to lead on sustainability by supporting your supply chain, the Sustainability Business Tracker simplifies the journey and builds confidence in sustainable investment.
Why It Matters for Large Businesses
For large organisations, supporting SME suppliers in their sustainability transitions isn’t just good ethics, it’s good business. The SBT offers larger organisations a standardised approach across their supply chains to understand their supply chain emissions and to develop an engagement strategy for the businesses they work with. It improves Scope 3 emission understanding and calculation, supply chain transparency, and fosters innovation. By equipping SMEs with the right tools, large businesses can establish baselines to track long-term impact and accelerate the green transition.
Let’s Make Sustainability Simple
Sustainability shouldn’t be daunting. It should be clear, accessible, and financially viable. The Sustainability Business Tracker helps make that vision a reality, bridging the gap between ambition and action, by turning sustainability into a pathway of growth for SMEs and large businesses alike.