A new, simple framework for SME climate disclosure

Sustainability

Last updated: 4. Apr 2024

CDP and Normative are working together to make it easier for SMEs to report climate progress

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Cassandra Julin

Head of Global PR

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To meet Paris-aligned emissions targets and prevent the worst consequences of climate change, every business needs to achieve net zero emissions – but not every business has an equal opportunity to do so.

Though the global transition to net zero business is underway, much of the transformational climate action has been driven by large, high-emitting corporations.

Despite constituting 90% of worldwide businesses, small-to-medium businesses with fewer than 500 employees are often overlooked. These businesses – called “SMEs” for short – lack the guidance and resources they need to set climate commitments, begin working toward them, and report their progress.

The SME Climate Hub was created to fill these underserved needs, with Normative as a founding member and established software provider. The UN-backed organization allows small and medium-sized businesses to commit to Paris-aligned targets. Committed companies can then access a library of free resources for reaching their net zero targets, including the Normative-developed Industry CO2 Insights tool helping SMEs understand their carbon footprints.

A simple framework for SMEs

To empower small to medium-sized businesses to track and report progress toward their net zero commitments, the CDP – a global environmental disclosure non-profit– has now launched a new climate disclosure framework for SMEs. 

Normative is one of three partners helping develop the Climate Disclosure Framework, in collaboration with Exponential Roadmap Initiative and the SME Climate Hub. The goal is to improve SMEs’ abilities to report their climate impacts and strategies to multiple stakeholders.

The framework is built upon CDP’s expansive experience working with corporations, including over 1,800 disclosing SMEs across 50+ countries. It was designed with resource-limited SMEs in mind and was made to be simple, flexible, easy to understand, and accessible to all.

Make the SME Climate Commitment to access free net zero tools

Commit to Paris-aligned emissions targets and gain access to a free resource library for helping your business achieve net zero emissions.

Make the commitment