Why is climate change an issue for your business?
Over the past year, what has happened that has affected the ways in which you do business? Many SMEs will have felt the impacts of flooding, transport systems failing and supply chain disruption. Supplier and customer expectations are also changing; what is your value chain asking of you? Customers are increasingly asking businesses what their green credentials are. We mustn't forget there are huge opportunities that come with considering climate in your business strategy with potential new markets to tap into and attracting talent.
What matters to your organisation?
What do you want to achieve in the short and long term? Are you looking to stay ahead of regulatory changes, keeping up with market demands, looking to adapt to ensure business continuity? It may be useful to undertake a SWOT analysis at this stage to understand what is affecting your business/industry specifically. Be sure to include broader stakeholder perspectives e.g. funders, employees, customers, suppliers, and what their expectations are.
Getting started with climate reporting
The Corporate Reporting Faculty has hosted two webinars on the UK’s Climate-related Financial Disclosure Regulations 2022, experts explain the requirements and provide practical tips on getting started..
How do I do this?
You’ve decided what your first steps should be, now find out how to measure your impact, what support is available and training opportunities. It is worth noting that data around emissions is not perfect but is continuously evolving as more data becomes available.
Applying this in practice
Now you know how climate change is impacting your organisation, what your priorities are and how they can be measured, it is time to put this into practice. Make a climate strategy, set targets and milestones to keep your organisation and stakeholders accountable. Report on what you are doing to show not only investors how you are responding but also to encourage others to do the same.
We want to hear from you
We aim to develop this page to provide the most up-to-date and relevant information to our members and would love to hear your feedback. If you think there are areas you think need further signposting, please do get in touch.