Peter Sweatman, Author
The climate and energy transition cannot take place without the input of SMEs
Published in November 2022
Spanish SMEs generate 65% of employment and represent 99.8% of the Spanish business fabric (a total of 2,926,484 companies), hence their active engagement is essential to guarantee a green, effective and fair transition.
However, a study by the Joint Research Center of the European Union finds there are knowledge and action gap barriers in assisting SMEs during their decarbonisation. While the SMEs Climate Hub is one of the few international initiatives that seeks to mobilise the climate ambition of SMEs, as of the date of the publication of this report there are only 68 Spanish SMEs that have signed up.As legislative pressure from Europe and at the national level is increasing due to the climate crisis and the energy price shock aggravated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, developing a climate action plan that responds to these regulatory changes is now more essential than ever.
In order to address this issue, this report by Climate Strategy & Partners reflects the results of a 1 year consultation process with more than 300 SMEs and their regional platforms, including case studies of SMEs that are leading the transition, and examines the current progress in climate action of Spanish SMEs, the challenges and benefits of the current ecological transition in the context of the energy crisis. Furthermore, this report offers a guide of best practices adapted to the singular situation of SMEs to prepare climate action plans towards net zero emissions. These best practices have been divided into three pillars: 1. emission reduction targets, 2. climate action, and 3. climate governance.
Report’s key recommendations include:
Milestones include:
