A new training programme to help small businesses reduce their carbon emissions.
The climate crisis is an urgent issue for everyone. The UK government has set an ambitious target to reach net-zero by 2050 and all businesses of all sizes need to play a part if we’re to reach those goals. This is not just about doing the right thing — today’s consumers expect action: according to research from Edelman, 80% of people want brands to solve society’s problems.
Small businesses make up 99% of the UK’s business community so they’ll play a crucial role in reaching net zero. Yet, understandably, small businesses don’t always have the time, resources, or expertise to dedicate to this — especially as they focus on recovery from the pandemic. Cost and an ability to understand, measure, and report emissions are cited as two of the main barriers to change.
Sustainability training for small businesses
To help small businesses overcome these obstacles, we’re announcing a new free, simple, and actionable training programme to help SMEs reduce their emissions. Our training is designed for small businesses starting their journey towards sustainability, with an emphasis on how a sustainability strategy can help drive business performance. It sets out the business case and imperative for cutting emissions, and explains practical, digitally-focused ways to decarbonize — from using paperless billing and Cloud-enabled technology, to renewable energy sourcing and supply chains. Since we know how much consumers care about this, it also covers how small businesses can use their sustainability credentials to differentiate.
We’ll deliver the training through the Google Digital Garage, building on our experience of coaching more than 650,000 people and small businesses in the UK in digital and business skills. We’re encouraging companies who complete the training to make a commitment to going net-zero by signing up to the SME Climate Commitment, which can be found on the UK Business Climate Hub. Businesses who sign up and share their commitments will be recognized by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign initiative and inspire other businesses to take action.
We’re optimistic that by supporting organisations and technologies like these we can help small businesses make the journey towards a carbon-free future.
What can you expect from this Google Digital Garage session?
Integrating sustainability measures into your business can have a huge impact not only on the wider world but on your bottom line. However, they can feel very overwhelming to begin with. Set up your business for continued success by learning about tangible actionable sustainability changes that you can implement to help your business grow.
In this session you will learn:
- Why sustainability is good for business
- How to start your journey
- Where to use sustainability measures to engage employees and customers
Good to know:
This session is run using YouTube and is 60 minutes long. The course assumes no prior knowledge or experience so there is no pre-reading necessary. There will be the opportunity to ask questions during the session.