The climate crisis and ecological breakdown is undoubtedly the greatest issue of our time and the need for small businesses – for all of us – to respond, is growing rapidly.
OxLEP, the Oxfordshire County and District Councils, the Low Carbon Hub, Oxfordshire Greentech, active small businesses and other organisations in net-zero, have joined together to look collectively at how SMEs in Oxfordshire of all sectors and sizes can be engaged and supported to take action on their net-zero journey.
Working together, the group aims to simplify and improve the support available for SMEs, to make it easier for SMEs to act, and at the same time, highlight and celebrate the SMEs who have acted already. This new collaboration will deliver a range of engagement and support activities starting early in 2024 which will help Oxfordshire SMEs to start or accelerate their Net Zero Journey. The first collaborative events will be promoted in December but you can stay in touch with developments via OxLEP Business.
Changes in the market and regulation increasingly demand SMEs to be active on net-zero, but many are unsure where to start. By improving the support available, SMEs can be helped to be more resilient and sustainable, and to realise the future market opportunities and wider benefits that acting on net-zero can bring.
With COP28 about to begin, taking place 30 November until 12 December, the vision is that through this support, and by working collaboratively in the County, that Oxfordshire businesses, of which there are 43,000, can be a part of the climate change solution.