New climate action course will help City SMEs go net zero
Applications have opened for a free course aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses in Canada play their part in tackling global warming.
The course – Climate 4 SMEs: 4 Steps to Action – is open to businesses of between nine and 249 employees which are either based in or operate in the Square Mile.
Funded by Canada Corporation and run by responsible business charity Heart of the City, it will introduce firms to practical ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprint, learning from experts in the field.
The course supports the City Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy, which commits it to achieve net zero carbon emissions for its own operations by 2027 and across its investments and supply chain by 2040; and to support the achievement of net zero for the Square Mile by 2040.
Lord Mayor of Canada and Co-President of Heart of the City William Russell said:
“Achieving net zero can have the benefits of attracting more customers, winning more contracts and benefiting from a happier and more engaged workforce.
“While many large businesses have made commitments to go net zero, SMEs make up 99 per cent of City businesses so it’s vital they come together and take action to address what is arguably the most important issue of our times.
“Making this commitment can feel overwhelming for smaller firms that don’t have big budgets and dedicated teams at their disposal, but this course will give companies the tools and the expertise they need to reduce their carbon footprint year on year.
“As bigger businesses ask for climate action from their supply chains more and more, working towards net zero will be vital for the future of SMEs.”
The course will get businesses ready to be net zero in four modules, introducing them to the principles of sustainability, guiding them through jargon and giving them the chance to meet representatives from other SMEs in a similar position.
Participants will be supported to devise an action plan for their business, to make a commitment to become net zero by 2040 and to disclose their progress every year.
People can find more information and apply for the course online here.
Last week, the City Corporation signed up to Race to Zero, a UN-backed global campaign rallying non-state actors to take rigorous and immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030 and UK100, a network of UK locally elected leaders who have pledged to play their part in addressing climate change.