A group of organizations, including the International Chamber of Commerce, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, the We Mean Business coalition and the UNFCCC Race to Zero campaign announced the launch of the SME Climate Hub, enabling smaller businesses to address climate change.  The new initiative is aimed at encouraging small and medium-sized companies to commit to halving greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions before 2050.

According to the organizations, businesses that commit to the emission reduction goals will be able to take advantage of accessible tools and resources to help them reduce emissions and build business resilience, while the platform will couple these resources with opportunities for businesses to unlock direct commercial incentives.

John W.H. Denton AO, Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce, said:

“Addressing climate change has never been so business critical. We are delighted to partner with like-minded organisations to bring to life the SME Climate Hub and help support the companies that make up the backbone of our global economy, in the face of the increasing risks of climate change. We want to make it as easy as possible for small and medium-sized businesses to protect and grow their business.”

The organizations stated that the new platform was launched to reach a business audience that has so far been underrepresented in the fight against climate change, despite SMEs making up approximately 90 percent of business worldwide and employing over two billion people.

María Mendiluce, CEO, the We Mean Business coalition, said:

“Mobilizing SMEs to take action is critical. It is fantastic to see the SME Climate Hub making it easy for small and medium-sized companies to take action. At the We Mean Business coalition we have seen large companies gain competitive advantage over their peers through taking climate action. SMEs with climate action plans will position themselves to become the most attractive suppliers to the hundreds of multinationals with decarbonization plans as well as to the growing number of investors now addressing climate related risk.”

In coordination with the launch of the SME Climate Hub, several major multinational corporations, including Ericsson, IKEA, Telia, BT Group and Unilever have made a firm commitment to include climate-related targets and performance in their supplier purchasing criteria — and to work with the SMEs in their supply chain to deliver net-zero greenhouse emissions before 2050. The companies, which have each set targets to reach net-zero emissions in their value chains, will also provide concrete tools, share knowledge and exchange best practices for implementing robust climate strategies through the new platform.

Henrik Elm, Global Supply Manager, IKEA, said:

“IKEA is committed to working closely together with our supply chain partners to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from production by 80% by 2030. We are proud to be a 1.5°C Supply Chain Leader and to contribute to facilitating the climate journey for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). We will not be able to limit climate change by working alone. Only by working together will we show that it is possible.”