Clare and Angela lead a team responsible for supporting SMEs across Edinburgh with their growth aspirations, with a particular focus on helping businesses reach net zero.
Operating more sustainably is a consideration for most firms – large and small – with many owners and employees recognising that a sustainable business can be more resilient with improved efficiencies, productivity and increasing the ability to better attract and retain talent.
Numerous businesses across Scotland have committed to clear sustainability plans with some making major promises to reach specific environmental goals. These typically fall in line with the country’s ambitious plans to become net zero by 2045, five years ahead of the government’s target.
Recent data from Bank of Scotland’s Business Barometer revealed that in October, more than a fifth (25%) of businesses in Scotland plan to invest in sustainability over the next six months. This is in addition to those already making great progress towards net zero.
It’s great to see that so many businesses are eager to take steps to improve their environmental impact. But, it can sometimes be tricky to know where to start.
Bring your team on the journey with you
For businesses to make progress with their sustainability plans, they need to engage with their workforce to make sure everyone is invested, knowledgeable on the subject matter and working towards the same common goal.
One way to support this is to offer environmental training for staff, as this can help to shift the wider cultural attitude across the organisation. All departments and colleagues should be responsible for their own sustainability targets, ideally focused on their job area.
Measure, mobilise, monitor
Measuring and assessing your current environmental impact and putting in place a system to monitor progress is a key driver of long-term sustained change in a business’ journey to Net Zero.
At this stage, firms need to be measuring their carbon footprint, using those insights to mobilise their plans and set realistic targets and deadlines that all stakeholders agree on. Next, focus should be given to monitoring the impact going forwards and tweaking plans where necessary.
Keep on track
With a roadmap now in place with clear targets that are being monitored, keeping up momentum against your progress is vital. Here you might also consider developments outside your own operations and the wider supply chain.
There may well be challenges, but as each new initiative is introduced on your map to net zero, they will need the same rigour applied as when you first started on this journey, otherwise momentum risks being lost.
Work with the right partner
Finding the right information that is most suited to your goals and sector is key. At Bank of Scotland, we have a host of essential information on how you can get started on Net Zero, including articles on how to build sustainability goals into clear Net Zero plans for your business.
We also offer Clean Growth Finance loans which enable businesses to access discounted lending for green purposes, from small improvements in environmental impact, right through to large-scale renewable energy infrastructure. Through this, businesses also have access to leading sustainability consultants.
We’ve helped some fantastic businesses through this scheme, including ice cream company Mackie’s of Scotland, which has been able to reduce electricity usage and carbon emissions after investing in an efficient low-carbon system due to funding support from Bank of Scotland.
You can read our practical guide for SMEs on going net zero here.
