Two-thirds of SMEs worry that they don’t have the skills to tackle the climate crisis, yet despite this there is increasing pressure on supply-chain SMEs to disclose their carbon footprint to large corporations they supply to due to mandatory scope 3 emissions reporting. To address this issue, NatWest and Cogo have joined forces to create a toolkit to help build carbon literacy among SMEs and guide them through the carbon disclosure process. 

Free to access for anyone, the toolkit which is titled “How can SMEs fulfill climate-related supply chain reporting” can be accessed here. It has been created to support all SMEs regardless of their level of carbon literacy.  

The topics covered within the step-by-step toolkit include: 

• Benefits for SMEs that engage with carbon management 
• Getting started with carbon emissions and creating an emissions inventory
• Getting started with setting targets and making public commitments 
• Creating action plans to reduce your emissions and achieve your target 
• Disclosing your ambitions and progress on carbon management 
• Evaluation of your carbon management 

The toolkit is the first of a series of tools that NatWest and Cogo plan to launch to support SMEs. 

James Close, Head of Climate Change at NatWest Group, said: “As the UK’s biggest bank for business we want to help SMEs to tackle climate change and unlock the opportunities of a sustainable economy.

“NatWest research shows that SMEs that harness the net zero opportunity could generate a £175 billion-plus revenue opportunity by 2030 and if given the right support, could contribute up to half of the UK’s 2030 emissions targets.”

Emma Kisby, Cogo Chief Executive Officer, EMEA: “As the backbone of the UK economy, SMEs play a critical role in tackling the climate crisis. It is therefore imperative that we take the stress and complexity out of carbon reporting for SMEs as we know they are already time, resource and often budget poor.”