A board member from the Federation of Small Businesses has explained that more help is needed for small businesses to ensure they’re not left behind on their sustainability journey if the UK is going to meet its net zero targets.
In the first episode of season two – released 18 March – of the Sustainability Insiders podcast, host Kevin Hegarty from Cadent is joined by Ian O’Donnell MBE to provide insight into the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses in meeting sustainability goals.
Delving into his experiences on the board of the Federation of Small Businesses, Ian discusses the need to simplify sustainability for small business leaders, citing the number of carbon calculators and different frameworks available as an example of complicated processes.
The podcast discusses skills and knowledge, accessibility, and the need to de-jargonise language, with Mr O’Donnell providing his advice for small businesses on what can be done to transform their sustainability journey through small, achievable steps. He also addresses access to finance and how supply chains and landlords can better support small businesses on their journey.
The release of the new season of Sustainability Insiders follows Cadent’s latest Energy Diaries insights, in partnership with Thinks Insight & Strategy, which focused on the experiences of small businesses. The research found that almost two in five (39%) SMEs are anxious about whether their organisation will be operating in the next five years. However, sustainability and being more energy efficient is still considered, with over half (55%) confirming they are looking to make improvements to make their buildings more energy efficient.
Ian O’Donnell has 17 years’ experience in supporting small business and joined the board of the Federation of Small Businesses in 2023. He also shares examples of ways small businesses are being innovative with their sustainability practices.
Cadent’s Kevin Hegarty, who hosts the podcast, said: “On this series of Sustainability Insiders, we hear from a number of inspirational leaders who share their views on how we can prioritise our drive towards net zero. All six of our speakers have unique experiences to share, and we cannot think of a better way to open the series than with Ian O’Donnell, who brings insight from his position at the Federation of Small Businesses.”
Sustainability Insiders is a podcast by Cadent discussing sustainable practices within business. Season one included industry leaders from the likes of Biffa Waste Services and NatWest. Episodes are available on all the main podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as the Cadent website: https://cadentgas.com/reports/sustainability-insiders