SMEs are getting Climate Ready – How to succeed in the race to zero!

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in the national economic development in countries worldwide. Globally, they account for about 90% of all companies, 50% of employment and a significant impact on supply chain performances. 

Like companies of all sizes, also SMEs are facing several challenges today. Global supply chains struggle, long term planning is difficult and upcoming climate regulations impose new guidelines on businesses. SMEs often lack resources and capabilities to deal with the fast changing circumstances.

Find in the following how the freshly launched Climate Readiness Check supports companies to move towards climate transformation.

SMEs becoming Climate Champions

SMEs play a key role in achieving the 1.5 degree target. Not only as they are key economic players, but also as they are essential to any global supply chain. This is important, as emissions from supply chains are typically 11.4 times higher than direct corporate emissions. Many large companies therefore channel their climate protection requirements along the supply chain to their suppliers, often SMEs. 

This means whole businesses have to transform the way they create value! Every company needs to become a Climate Champion, contributing to a climate compatible and future-oriented economy. Customer inquiries and international climate reporting standards are increasingly demanding effective action. Climate action is thus one of the top priorities for SMEs today.

However, many SMEs still lack the necessary resources to get into the various aspects of climate transformation and to create a concrete roadmap based on this. The question is: How can SMEs manage their climate performance, prepare for climate-related risks and position themselves as reliable leaders for decarbonization within supply chains?

Go beyond Offsetting, manage your Climate Performance

It all starts with understanding the actual climate performance of a company. Which goes way beyond measuring CO2 and offsetting it. International disclosure guidelines, such as TCFD, ask companies to assess, manage and report their climate performance holistically. The most essential five dimensions are: governance, strategy, transparency, KPIs & metrics and decarbonisation actions. 

However, collecting the relevant data within a company can be challenging, especially for SMEs. Lacking time, tools and know-how makes it difficult to gather, streamline and manage the needed information. 

Taking first steps towards Net Zero

In the last few years, we have witnessed the need for an easy start into the climate transformation journey. Many companies, especially SMEs, approached us with the questions how to set up priorities, identify most needed actions and start improving over time. 

"For a holistic change towards a sustainable economy, tools are needed that provide SMEs with an initial orientation on how they can transform their business in a climate-compatible way. For this challenge, THE CLIMATE CHOICE has developed a practical solution. The Climate Readiness Check is an accessible tool for SMEs that enables a new push in the strategic pursuit of climate targets in SMEs."

Phoebe Köster, Climate Policy Manager at Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft e.V.

This is why we are happy to release today our digital and free Climate Readiness Check! Which we launch in partnership with 10 leading sustainability organizations, including B.A.U.M. e.V., Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft e.V. (BNW), Fairantwortung e.V., Foundation Development and Climate Alliance, Jaro Institute for Sustainability and Digitalization e.V., the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (DMB) and Zentrum für Nachhaltige Unternehmensführung (ZNU).

"Climate friendliness is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). On the way to climate-neutral operation, the Climate Readiness Check is a useful and low-threshold aid."

Steffen Kawohl, Transition Manager at Deutscher Mittelstands-Bund e.V.

The Climate Readiness Check offers companies of all sizes an easy entry point into their climate transformation: through insights into their own climate maturity, suggestions for improvement and a basic access to the climate intelligence platform.

Get started with your free 5-minute Climate Readiness Check

The free Climate Readiness Check helps to overcome the initial barriers of Climate Transformation and to take the first step towards climate action. The software-driven climate self-test is manageable in 5 minutes and guides through the most relevant indicators of a company's climate maturity.

Here is how the Climate Readiness Check empowers companies.

1. Be ahead of Climate Regulation

Completing the Climate Readiness Check will grant insights, which help companies taking first steps towards climate disclosure requirements.

2. Discover Quick Wins

Assessing the climate maturity of a company, the Climate Readiness Check proposes relevant areas for improvement and suggests immediate actions.

3. Access to Climate Platform

Successfully completing the Climate Readiness Check grants access to the Climate Intelligence Platform, where companies can discover like-minded businesses.

Climate Ready, Steady, Go!

“Climate Transformation is a goal we can only achieve together. Our free Climate Readiness Check gives first insights on a company’s individual climate maturity and allows access to the Climate Intelligence Platform, where companies can connect with other companies on their path to zero. We are excited to support businesses of all sizes to take first steps towards a low-carbon economy together.”

Lara Obst, Founder & Climate Officer at THE CLIMATE CHOICE.

You want to start your free Climate Readiness Check? Congrats, start now your climate transformation journey here!