At the same time, the Willow Review highlights a wider communications challenge. Nearly 75% of SMEs do not understand how ‘net zero’ applies to them, with the report finding that technical jargon and climate targets stretching decades into the future leave small businesses feeling estranged from the transition to sustainability. So, what does this mean for future enhancements and development of the UK Business Climate Hub? 

Drawing on surveys of over 400 small businesses, focus groups, and case studies, the Willow Review highlights the diverse ways in which business can benefit from a pivot to sustainability, from reducing operational costs and attracting new customers to building greater resilience. Yet the findings once again point to the key barriers we know are preventing SMEs from taking their first steps towards greening their business: fragmented incentives, funding barriers both perceived and real, and a struggle to find the right information. 

Cutting through the information overload around net zero is a vital step in bringing small businesses along the sustainability journey. The review quotes the UK Net Zero Business Census, which found nearly one-third of small businesses “don’t know where to start.” Conflicting terminology, technical jargon, and disparate advice make it hard to see the path forward. 

Happily, the Willow Review says that quality resources do exist, at the UK Business Climate Hub. Working with a wide range of business, NGO and government partners, the Broadway Initiative manages the site to deliver precisely the practical, easy-to-access content the Willow Review argues needs to be put into the hands of UK SMEs. The site aims to provide information that is accurate, up to date and, crucially, all in one place. 

Thanks to support from the diverse range of organisations making up the UKBCH steering group, and with the support of the Net Zero Council, the UKBCH already helps business take each step of the Willow Review’s five-point plan for sustainability: sustainable materials, optimised logistics, minimised waste, renewable energy and sustainable supply chains. The site provides easy access to carbon calculators, a curated directory of finance opportunities searchable by region and sector, as well as providing the case studies and thought leadership that can inspire businesses to take the sustainability plunge. But there is room to do even more. 

The Willow Review five point plan is ambitious, but might there be room to broaden the definition of sustainability still further? At UK Business Climate Hub we are following the steer of the Net Zero Council and starting to look at the full scope of environmental sustainability actions open to UK SMEs, including land use, water, and responding to the biodiversity crisis. 

As the Net Zero Council continues to align Government departments and agencies and mobilises resources and expertise, the Hub can evolve to deliver a wider suite of sustainability content in line with the Willow Review recommendations. Opportunities to harmonise with the forthcoming Business Growth Service offer the exciting potential to reach vastly more businesses, placing sustainability guidance alongside all the advice and information SMEs need to succeed. The proposed Local Sustainability Champions could signpost and demonstrate UKBCH content. The potential to embed AI as a tool for matching businesses to funding opportunities is untapped and could be transformative. 

The Willow Review recommendation that the Government campaign to drive uptake of UK Business Climate Hub is an acknowledgment of the value of this one stop shop for SME net zero guidance. Yet there is a second messaging recommendation that is just as important and just as crucial to the future of UKBCH: the need to reframe business sustainability as a question of growth, competitiveness and profitability rather than compliance. 

At Broadway we bring together the partners required to build the frameworks the country needs to deliver its environmental goals. Through those forums and conversations we know the importance of getting the message right. Protecting the environment is a vital moral imperative, but it needs to be communicated in a way that is relevant to people’s lives. The British public consistently tell pollsters that they love nature and support action on climate, but there is also a strong case to be made for environmental action supporting economic growth and widespread prosperity and security. 

Helping to hone and share that narrative will be essential in the implementation of the Willow Review recommendations, and vital to the increased uptake of the tools on UK Business Climate Hub. The development of a single point of timely, accurate net zero information is a significant step towards the sustainability transition. The giant leap will come when an energised SME community is seeking out the site and making its resources a central part of their business planning.