Introduction

This project will consider how SMEs are adjusting to the climate emergency and identify the organisational and financial challenges this is creating. Are these challenges leading to changes in innovation patterns, internal processes or business models? How are firms financing the transition towards net-zero?

We expect to cover:

  • carbon emissions from SMEs;
  •  attitudes to low carbon;
  •  extent of the activity underway to facilitate transition to zero carbon;
  • barriers to transition (including access to finance);
  •  perceptions/reality of a trade-off between low carbon and productivity/business growth.;
  • familiarity and uses of GHG standards (scope 1 to 3).

No existing dataset provides information on these issues so we propose here a combination of new survey data collection and secondary data analysis. This approach is designed to maximise the insights from existing data and backfill with new data where required.


Keywordsinnovation management, leadership, climate change
Themeinnovation management and leadership
Project DirectorVicki Belt