Still optimistic despite another COP with a disappointing outcome

The 27th United Nations ‘Conference of the Parties’ (COP27) has concluded in Egypt and yet again, the nations of the world have failed to offer us a clear path to address the climate crisis.?

Yes, we finally have an agreement on a loss and damage fund to help nations already dealing with devastating consequences of climate change - and this is to be celebrated. However, the watered-down final text, with potential loopholes around “low emissions” energy to be used alongside renewables, casts yet more doubt on world leaders' commitment to keeping warming within the 1.5C limit agreed in the COP21 ‘Paris agreement’ back in 2015.

But are we really surprised? Perhaps not.

So?where can we find the optimism to continue working towards 1.5C, even if governments are not collectively stepping up to the challenge??

For us, we only have to turn to see what businesses around the world are striving to accomplish.?

And while you might first think of large corporations, we're actually thinking of all the small businesses that collectively form such a significant part of the economy and our lives.

In the UK, SMEs make up 99.9% of all private businesses (2021) and accounted for 51.9% of private sector turnover in 2020 and 53.6% of all private sector jobs.

What's more, SMEs produce half of all business-driven carbon emissions in the UK (2021). They have a big role to play in reaching our national Net Zero target.

We need change NOW - we only have 8 years left of this crucial decade - and?this is where small businesses come into their own.

Small organisations are largely more sustainable and efficient by their very nature (they have to be to survive) and they are more agile than large companies, being able to respond quicker to changing values and needs of their customers.

They may not have the vast resources (or the significant environmental impacts) of multinational corporations but they have a big part to play in reforming the way we do business - to work within our planet's boundaries and reverse the trends of global warming and biodiversity loss.?

It's time for small business owners to stand up and take the lead?- because we clearly can't rely on heads of states.

Actions your small business can take right now:

• Pick one specific thing (or a few) you can do better and work out how you're going to do it - measure it if you can, and report on the outcome
• Talk to your customers about your sustainable/ethical values and practices, through all your channels of communication (website, social media, point of sale, email newsletters and so on)
• Make the Climate Pledge to achieve Net zero carbon by 2040 with the SME Climate Hub
• Apply to become an EQM award holder and demonstrate you are taking action and business decisions to benefit planet and people - and take advantage of our new carbon tracker to help you set and monitor your carbon reduction targets

Visit www.eqm.org.uk/register to get started

#COP27 #SustainableBusiness #SmallBusiness #EnvironmentalQualityMark

Sources and useful links:

https://www.merchantsavvy.co.uk/uk-sme-data-stats-charts/

https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/press-release/smaller-businesses-responsible-for-around-half-of-all-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-businesses-british-business-bank-research-reveals/

https://smeclimatehub.org/the-climate-pledge/