Climate-proofing SMEs

A campaign to empower and enable Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to take ambitious climate action

Introduction

There is no resilient, net zero future if we leave half of the economy behind. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the foundation of the economy.

SMEs are critical to global supply chains and local communities. Yet, 63% of SMEs already committed to net zero have not been asked by stakeholders to reduce emissions and 84% have not been offered any financial incentives.

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Campaign Objectives

Capacity building: increase SME access to tailored resources and capacity building
Celebrating leadership: mobilize and showcase SME climate leadership
Catalytic collaborations: call on large organizations to support SMEs in value chains

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Why Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)?

Represent 90% of businesses worldwide
Generate over half of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and greenhouse has emissions
Create 7 out of 10 jobs and drive inclusive growth
Two-thirds report already experiencing the effects of climate change

Progress to date

Over 9000 SMEs in the Race to Zero
44 Campaign Collaborator organizations
Reaching a network of 90 million SMEs
Local campaign mobilizers in 100+ countries

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Nigar Arparadai

“SMEs are the backbone of the global economy, driving 50-80% of growth in many countries. SMEs are crucial for climate success. My campaign will focus on empowering SMEs to thrive in the green transition – boosting climate literacy, access to finance and resilience.

I am bringing together leading initiatives working with SMEs to consolidate their support offerings, in order to align, strengthen and elevate the support network available to smaller businesses to take their place as part of the global climate action aims. I am in particular calling on large corporations, global institutions, and regional actors to increase support and capacity building for SMEs in their value chains.

I also invite SMEs themselves to start their climate journey today and join the thousands future-proofing themselves and their communities by joining the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience.”

— Nigar Arparadai

UN Climate Change
High-Level Champion, COP29

“We cannot build a healthy planet without healthy SMEs, the backbone of our global economy. " — Sherry Madera, CEO of CDP
"The Climate Proofing SMEs campaign represents a crucial milestone in strengthening private sector engagement with the climate agenda.We are proud to be part of this impactful collective effort, helping to facilitate this process on a global scale." — Ude Lottfi, COO of Climate Ventures
"As we approach COP29, it’s imperative that leading small and medium-sized businesses globally take responsibility and make the SME Climate Commitment." — María Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, host organization of the SME Climate Hub
"Board-level understanding of the risks and opportunities associated with climate change is pivotal to addressing the challenge in a timely manner and requires every available tool at our disposal across every business in the economy." — Emily Farnworth, Director of the Centre for Climate Engagement, Hughes Hall