New initiative aims to help SMEs halve emissions before 2030

Company news

Last updated: 26. Mar 2024

A one-stop-shop climate action platform for SMEs

Eline Wajon

Head of Climate Strategy

Saverio Lapini

Sustainability expert

Table of Contents

A sustainable era for SMEs

The SME Climate Hub — co-hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, the We Mean Business coalition and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign — was launched at the 2020-edition of New York Climate Week.

The SME Climate Hub will encourage small and medium-sized companies to commit to halving greenhouse gas emissions before 2030, reaching net-zero emissions before 2050. SMEs making this commitment – which will be globally recognized by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign – will be able to take advantage of accessible tools and resources to help them reduce emissions and build business resilience. The platform will couple these tailored resources with opportunities for businesses to unlock direct commercial incentives.

Normative.io is the technology provider for the SME Climate Hub platform, based on its leading expertise with automated sustainability management software. One of the features of the Normative software will help companies to go from mapping 0-10% of their carbon emissions to mapping 100% of their emissions, because ‘what doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get reduced’’.

We live in an exponential world, we had exponential economic growth, but also an exponential rise in emissions. Now we need exponential climate action.

Kristian Rönn, CEO of Normative

About the SME Climate Hub

The SME Climate Hub is an initiative founded by the International Chamber of Commerce, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, the We Mean Business coalition and the UNFCCC Race to Zero campaign, with the aim of supporting small and medium-sized businesses to build business resilience. The SME Climate Hub provides a one-stop-shop for SMEs to commit to climate action and access tools, incentives and other resources designed to make it easier than ever for small and medium-sized businesses to cut carbon emissions, bring innovative green solutions to market and build business resilience. SMEs that make the SME Climate Commitment will immediately be recognized by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign. 

For more information about the SME Climate Hub, visit: www.smeclimatehub.org

About Normative

Normative is a Swedish tech-company that automates carbon calculation and reporting to let companies focus on what counts: reducing carbon emissions. Their goal is to integrate sustainability reporting into financial valuation, empowering people to make informed decisions, for us and for the planet.

About the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

ICC is the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries with a mission to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere.

Through a unique mix of advocacy, solutions and standard setting, we promote international trade, responsible business conduct and a global approach to regulation — in addition to providing market-leading dispute resolution services. Our members include many of the world’s leading companies, SMEs, business associations and local chambers of commerce.

We act as the primary voice of the real economy in a range of intergovernmental organizations – from the United Nations to the World Trade Organization – championing the needs of local business in global decision making. Find out more at: iccwbo.org

About Exponential Roadmap Initiative

The Exponential Roadmap Initiative brings together technology innovators, scientists, companies and NGOs, with the mission to accelerate climate action exponentially through radical collaboration. The initiative has released the Exponential Roadmap, highlighting the 36 solutions that can scale exponentially to halve Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030 worldwide, and the 1.5°C Business Playbook, a guideline for companies and organizations of all sizes to set a 1.5°C aligned strategy and move to action. Find out more at: exponentialroadmap.org.

About the UNFCCC Race to Zero Campaign

The UNFCCC Race to Zero campaign is an international campaign that brings together an unprecedented coalition of real economy actors and 120 governments committed to achieve net zero carbon emission by no later than 2050. These real economy actors include: 1,128 companies, 452 cities, 22 regions, 549 universities, 45 of the biggest investors and 2,100 chambers of commerce – creating the largest ever alliance committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by no later than 2050: the “Climate Ambition Alliance.”

About the We Mean Business coalition

We Mean Business is a global coalition of nonprofit organizations working with the world’s most influential businesses to take action on climate change. The coalition brings together seven organizations: BSR, CDP, Ceres, The B Team, The Climate Group, The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Together we catalyze business action to drive policy ambition and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Find out more at: wemeanbusinesscoalition.org