The SME Climate Hub is co-hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, the We Mean Business coalition and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign has received support from several supply chain leaders, including BT Group, Ericsson, IKEA, Telia and Unilever, as well as funding support from Amazon and Verizon.

Horizonscan has become one of the first signatories to the UN-recognized “SME Climate Commitment”, which forms part of the SME Climate Hub. In making this commitment, Horizonscan has pledged to halve its carbon emissions by 2030, achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and regularly report on progress towards these aims.

The SME Climate Hub will provide SMEs with a range of accessible tools and resources to help them reduce emissions and build business resilience. The platform will couple these tailored resources with opportunities for businesses to unlock direct commercial incentives – from government tax breaks to procurement preferences provided by major businesses such as BT Group, Ericsson, Ikea, Telia and Unilever, who have all agreed to work with their SME suppliers to improve climate performance and also provide concrete tools, share knowledge and exchange best practices for implementing robust climate strategies through the SME Climate Hub.

One of the most pressing existential threats to SMEs is climate emergency. It has the potential to slow economic growth by causing material damage; limiting resource availability; causing shifts in demand; leading to business interruptions and production disruptions; causing supply chain interference; and forcing business closures. With 40 to 60 per cent of small businesses never reopening after a disaster, curbing carbon emissions and building business resilience is critical.