Report reveals less than half of UK businesses have a plan to achieve Net Zero 

Almost one in two businesses do not have a Net Zero plan in place, says a report. 

Market research by Novuna Business Finance set out to establish whether small business owners around the UK are taking steps to tackle climate change. 

According to their Small Business Sustainability Report 2023, a total of 45 per cent of business do not have an active plan to become Net Zero. 

Four out of five small businesses believe that regulatory bodies, industry networks and local and national government could to more to help. 

On the plus side the report highlights some positive progress, with nine of out 10 SMEs saying that the cost of living crisis has forced them to become greener. 

One third of firms do say that they have an “active plan” to become net zero. 

The vast majority of businesses – 85 per cent – are taking steps of some kind to meet the sustainability challenge. 

Initiatives include reducing waste, increasing recycling, switching to renewable energy sources, encouraging cycling or walking to work and finding less carbon intensive business models. 

More than a quarter of business leaders are planning to review energy use of their premises and 78 per cent are greening their supply chain. 

More than a fifth of small businesses said there was not enough action being taken in their own business community to reduce carbon emissions.