We recently sat down with Alice, our Sustainability Lead, to pose her the question: What does sustainability look like for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)?
Sustainability is always evolving, filled with complex frameworks, unfamiliar acronyms, and an
often changing list of regulations. For many SMEs driven by a genuine desire to do the right thing, this landscape can feel overwhelming and difficult to navigate. In our conversation, Alice shared some of her advice for SMEs looking to make meaningful progress in sustainability. With a breadth of experience ranging from international organisations to hands-on support for SMEs during her time at Pointer, Alice brings both expertise and practical insight to the table.
Q1) What does sustainability mean to you?
Alice: Existing or operating with minimal impact to the planet’s resources and doing what we can
to regenerate them, so that we may enjoy the privilege of calling planet Earth our home far into the future. There are so many subsets of sustainability, from regenerative agriculture to human rights... it touches everything everywhere.
"SMEs make up the majority of businesses worldwide and, collectively, hold the potential to drive significant global impact."
Q2) Why should SMEs care about addressing climate change? How does it impact them directly or indirectly?
Alice: SMEs make up the majority of businesses worldwide and, collectively, hold the potential to drive significant global impact. When it comes to how SMEs may be impacted by the climate crisis, there are several key considerations. Firstly, businesses may face direct physical impacts from climate change in their local area, such as extreme weather events or supply chain disruptions.
Additionally, larger organisations that are legally bound to report on climate action are increasingly passing down sustainability requirements to their SME suppliers. Ultimately, regardless of size, any business that is not resilient to the realities of a changing world, climate-related or otherwise, risks losing its competitive edge.
Q3) What are some of the most impactful strategies SMEs can implement for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and how can they prioritise them?
Alice: If a company wants to reduce their GHG emissions, I recommend starting with understanding where business emissions are coming from. Emissions calculator tools vary in cost and accuracy, from basic survey estimates to more detailed data entry. If you're just getting started, a simpler estimate based on sector and size is fine, though you may wish to move to more accurate accounting with actual data so you can track carbon reduction progress. Pointer recently partnered with Climate Essentials, a platform that helps users easily measure their emissions, understand their environmental impact, and develop a clear reduction strategy.
Once you understand your emissions, you can maximise impact by focusing efforts where emissions are highest. These major sources, referred to as hotspots, should be the priority for reduction. Hotspots will vary depending on the nature of the business. That all said, a good carbon reduction principle is to improve energy efficiency and move away from fossil fuels to a renewable energy source. Apply this to your buildings and travel, asking any major suppliers of goods to do the same.
Bonus: In your early estimates you are likely to use a spend-based approach for your suppliers. Review your supplier emissions, are the top 5% by spend producing 90% of the emissions? Consider asking these suppliers for either their company, or product carbon footprints to improve the accuracy of your calculations.
Q4: How can SMEs encourage buy-in of decarbonisation initiatives? Alice: When it comes to prioritising action, this often becomes a matter of stakeholder engagement.
Framing carbon reduction as a path to future financial savings or a long-term competitive advantage makes it much easier to justify upfront investment and take meaningful steps now.
"Leading by example, whether through your people or procurement policies, your company can inspire customers and stakeholders to follow suit."
Q5) How can SMEs better engage employees, customers, and other stakeholders to create a culture of sustainability? Alice: 58% of people in the UK say they think about climate change at least weekly so thankfully,
sustainability is unlikely to be new to many stakeholders. In terms of how to grow a culture of sustainability within a business, the 2024 PlanetMark Net Zero census shared several insights on engagement that I found really eye-opening. One key takeaway was the importance of building in-house awareness and skills as a major enabler. When thinking about stakeholder engagement, I find it helpful to reflect on your sphere of influence. Even one passionate individual can have a ripple effect, influencing those they interact with. Educating different teams and disciplines within a business on what they can each do to contribute can significantly foster and accelerate buy-in for decarbonisation efforts. Leading by example, whether through your people or procurement policies, your company can inspire customers and stakeholders to follow suit.
Q6) What are your go-to resources ,whether books, training, podcasts, newsletters, or even social media accounts, for those who want to deepen thier knowledge in sustainability? Alice: There are a growing number of top Linkedin voices each posting regular content about topics
like circular economy, biodiversity or business policies. I've curated a list of who I follow over several years based on personal interests and I'd recommend doing the same. If you absorb content and learn mostly on LinkedIn, Pointer regularly re-share content we think is worth reading, such as the World Economic Forum.
Here are some great LinkedIn accounts to help you gain some inspiration:
- Small99 & People, Planet, Pint Founder | Adam Bastock
- Nature & biodiversity | Oliver Dauert
- Policy & business | Abbie Morris
- Day to day tips & tricks | Carlos Terol
More broadly, some of the target setting organisations have informative websites and video
content, such as the SME Climate Hub, B-Corp and the Science Based Targets Initiative.
Another valuable resource is Carbon Literacy training, helping to bring everyone in your
organisation up to speed on carbon and climate terminology. It creates a shared foundation of understanding, making sustainability conversations more productive and constructive across the business.
"...Biodiversity is the planet's best natural defence against climate change."
Q7) What are some of your favourite climate facts?
Alice: Fact 1 is that three people replacing beef saves as much CO2 equivalent as one person becoming vegan. We don't all need to become vegan overnight, reducing our red meat consumption goes a long way!
The second is something that my colleague Lucy shared with me, that biodiversity is the planet's best natural defence against climate change. Yes there are cool new technologies, but we need to protect our millennia old methods too.
For more information on our sustainabilty service offering, visit our service page here.
Get in touch if you have any questions for Alice about how to start or continue your organisation's sustainability journey. Email: info@pointerconsultancygroup.co.uk.
