Small businesses in the City of London are being offered a free course which will help them to tackle climate change.
The scheme – Climate for SMEs: 4 Steps to Action – is run by responsible business charity Heart of the City and will help SMEs understand the climate crisis and their company’s environmental impact and learn how to reduce climate impacts.
The course is funded by the City of London Corporation and supports its Climate Action Strategy, which commits it to achieving net zero carbon status for its own operations by 2027 and for the Square Mile as a whole by 2040.
Businesses can sign up for a pilot version of the project, which is running two of four modules this summer, ahead of a full launch early next year.
Heart of the City Chair Sushil Saluja said: “Coming out of the pandemic, the need to generate economic activity is key for all businesses, large and small. Increasingly, we’re finding that the way in which companies do this is important, leading to greater emphasis on responsible business and in particular climate action. For small business, it’s not just about doing the right thing, it’s also about generating core revenues.
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“Doing business sustainably is vital for everyone’s future, but it’s also really positive for your business to work towards net zero status – you’ll get more customers, attract brilliant employees and keep them for longer and win more contracts.
“We know the climate crisis can be daunting for firms which don’t have big teams and budgets to set net zero targets and how to get there. That’s why we’ve created a bespoke course which makes taking action against the climate crisis accessible, achievable – and free.”
Businesses taking part in the year-long course will learn what net zero means, why it’s relevant to small businesses and how to build an effective case for doing business sustainably and set a plan for achieving net zero carbon status.
Participants will have access to education events and sustainability experts and will also have the chance to build their networks through meeting other SMEs on a similar journey. A toolkit bespoke for SMEs will also be available on the Heart of the City website for all SMEs as well as course participants.
Businesses interested in signing up for the course can apply online at https://theheartofthecity.com/membership/climate-for-smes-4-steps-to-action/
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