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How you as a business can tackle climate change and stimulate economic growth


Ruth Kirby, Relationship Manager at NatWest, and member of Liverpool Chamber’s Net Zero Expert Panel, explains why tackling climate change is crucial to supporting the wider economy in its continued growth.

We know that climate change is a huge issue and impacts us all, but in order to tackle the issue, we need to work together as a business ecosystem to find solutions.

As highlighted in our Springboard to Sustainability report, 50% of UK’s carbon reduction can be delivered by SMEs and transition to net-zero could create up to 130,000 new jobs and around 30,000 new SMEs.

The ScaleUp Institute’s recent research into the green economy has revealed that green scaleups are distributed widely across the UK, with no region accounting for more than 15% of the total number. That being said, the North West region is at the top of the list in terms of green scaleup employment numbers and the region has a strong cluster of emerging environmental businesses.

For many established SMEs, it can be difficult to pinpoint where to start their climate journey, and to support businesses with their green goals, NatWest has created a Climate Hub which features tips, insights and tools to help SMEs to act now to tackle climate change, by reducing emissions and unlocking green growth opportunities.

Additionally, NatWest has also launched Green Loans to help eligible UK businesses finance business assets to support their sustainability ambitions, such as solar panels, electric vehicles, or heat pumps on commercial buildings.

And whilst funding support and education are vital in supporting businesses to tackle climate, we will continue to work with partners across the Merseyside and the North West support businesses with their climate goals as well as their day-to-day business needs.

More and more of the businesses I speak to are making climate a priority in terms of their business and priorities. There are a variety for resources available to support businesses at any stage of their climate journey and I am happy to support enterprises in finding solutions which are right for them.