How Do I Make My SME More Sustainable? A Practical Guide for Small Businesses
Sustainability isn’t just for big corporations anymore. More and more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are asking: “How do I make my business more sustainable?” Whether you’re motivated by customer expectations, cost savings, or long-term resilience, embedding sustainability into your SME can deliver both environmental and financial benefits.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
1. Measure Your Business Emissions and Carbon Footprint
The first step towards sustainability is understanding your impact. Measuring your business’s carbon footprint allows you to identify where your biggest emissions come from—whether it’s energy use, supply chain, transportation, or waste.
Tools and consultancies can help SMEs calculate emissions, but even a simple audit of energy bills, fuel use, and procurement choices can uncover opportunities for improvement. Once you have a baseline, you can set realistic targets for reducing emissions year on year.
2. Work Towards Recognised Sustainability Accreditations
Customers, clients, and investors increasingly want proof that a business is serious about sustainability. Consider accreditations and frameworks that suit SMEs, such as:
B Corp Certification – measures social and environmental performance with consumer recognition.
ISO 14001 – focuses on environmental management systems.
Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – sets carbon reduction goals in line with climate science.
Ecovadis - more relevant if you have clients with strong procurement processes, but globally recognised.
These accreditations not only boost credibility but also provide structured roadmaps for continuous improvement.
3. Create a Clear Sustainability Strategy
Sustainability shouldn’t be an afterthought—it should be part of your core business strategy. Start by defining your vision and values. Then set specific goals around emissions reduction, waste minimisation, social impact, and governance.
Your strategy should answer questions like:
What are our biggest environmental impacts?
How can we involve employees and suppliers?
How will we track progress and report results?
A clear strategy gives direction and accountability, making sustainability part of your long-term growth plan.
4. Think Beyond the Environment: ESG Matters
While environmental impact often takes centre stage, don’t forget the “S” and “G” in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance). A sustainable SME also focuses on:
Social responsibility – fair wages, diversity, wellbeing, and community engagement.
Governance – transparent decision-making, ethical business practices, and compliance with regulations.
Embedding ESG principles helps build trust with employees, clients, and investors alike.
5. Reduce Waste and Improve Resource Efficiency
Waste reduction and adopting a circular economy is one of the most straightforward ways to become more sustainable—and save money. SMEs can:
Design products and services in a circular method by using recycled materials.
Cut single-use plastics.
Ensure you have food waste separated and collected if relevant (new regulations came in this year).
Switch to digital tools to reduce paper.
Design items and products for reuse or recycling.
Work with suppliers who use sustainable packaging.
Small changes across operations can add up to significant improvements over time.
6. Engage Employees, Customers, and Clients
Sustainability works best when it’s collaborative. Engage your stakeholders by:
Training employees on sustainable practices.
Inviting staff to contribute ideas.
Sharing your sustainability journey with customers and clients.
Choosing suppliers and partners aligned with your values.
Transparency builds loyalty and shows that you’re committed to making a real difference.
If you have a complex supply chain, then conducting a review and supplier audit is a great place to start with this.
Final Thoughts - Making your Business more sustainable
Making your SME more sustainable doesn’t happen overnight, but small, consistent steps can drive real impact. By measuring emissions, seeking accreditations, developing a sustainability strategy, considering ESG in full, reducing waste, and engaging stakeholders, you’ll create a business that is not only future-proof but also attractive to conscious customers and employees.
The key question isn’t “Can my small business be sustainable?”—it’s “Can it afford not to be?”
Get in touch today if you’re looking for support to embed sustainability into your business.