The UK’s journey to net zero depends not only on the leadership of major corporates but on the engagement of the small businesses that make up the backbone of the British economy. Yet the Census highlights a clear communications challenge: while most SMEs (63%) are already seeing organisational benefits from climate action, one in four still perceive no business advantage in cutting emissions.

At the Broadway Initiative, we see this as an invitation to act. Through the UK Business Climate Hub, which we manage in collaboration with government, trade associations, banks, and energy networks, we’re helping to close the gap between environmental ambition and practical action. The Hub brings together trusted tools, guidance, and financial support so SMEs can not only reduce emissions but strengthen their resilience and competitiveness.

As Ed Lockhart, Convenor of the Broadway Initiative, observed:

“The finding that 25% of SMEs see no business benefits from cutting emissions is driving us to increase the amount of accessible information on the Hub about how to seize these commercial benefits.”

The connection between business success and environmental health is not abstract. Every sector ultimately depends on the natural systems that sustain our economy – from fertile soils to stable weather patterns, from water availability to biodiversity. Helping businesses recognise and act on that connection is essential to building an economy that is net zero and nature positive.