Sustainability & Society: Protect the Planet
Small and medium-sized businesses want to address their environmental and social impact, but doing this efficiently and with lasting impact can be daunting. It is our goal to break down the barriers standing in their way.
We will lead by example with ambitious yet realistic goals of our own:
Small and medium-sized businesses make up over 90% of businesses and are estimated to employ two billion people worldwide. But the reality is that a vast majority have yet to take climate action or put targets in place to reduce their carbon emissions. Lack of time, significant costs, overly complex guidance and uncertainty about quantifying emissions are barriers to taking positive action. That’s why we’ve partnered with the global body for professional accountants, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), as well as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to provide friendly recommendations for small and medium-sized businesses.
Our collaborative report, ‘Think Small First: Enabling effective climate action by small and medium-sized businesses’, callsfor governments and large companies to step up to do more to urgently simplify carbon reporting and accounting so that small and medium-sized businesses are not left behind in the Race to Net Zero.
Joining WBCSD as a council member gives Sage the opportunity to represent small and medium-sized businesses globally and the challenges they face in protecting our planet. We will collaborate with leaders across industries, sectors and geographical areas to help sustainable businesses be more successful.
Steve Hare will also play an active role in the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality (BCTI) as commissioner. He will work with other purpose-led CEOs and industry leaders to mobilize the business community at large and to drive tangible progress to support prosperity for all.
