Naturesave was founded to use the insurance industry as a means for sustainable development. One of the key ways we have delivered this is via our Naturesave Trust funded business support programme.
Originally called the Environmental Performance Review Programme (EPR), this service has supported over 500 businesses and has been running since 1996. As the low carbon landscape has transformed, so has our EPR service.
We have now evolved this into a Sustainability Service, designed to address the rapidly evolving needs to small to medium sized businesses when it comes to sustainability.
SME’s make up the majority of Naturesave’s client base and in total represent 99.9% of UK businesses. There simply cannot be a net zero economy, without SMEs transitioning to net zero aligned operations – however, they face many barriers that hinder their decarbonisation journeys.
Some SMEs, particularly the smallest businesses, are daunted by the knowledge they need to acquire before they can take low carbon action. Other factors include a lack of time, a lack of resources and in-house personal with technical knowledge, coupled with a lack of standardised guidance on emissions reporting. SMEs need to take climate action to build business resilience, gain competitive advantage, keep up with supply chain demands and policy regulation, and meet consumer expectations.
Furthermore, a business will face risk if their net-zero ambitions are not met – this is either within their own business or in the wider society. These risks include:
- Transitional risk: business are at risk from fast changing regulation, markets and technology in the transition to a low carbon economy.
- Physical risks: this can be from damage or disruption due to extreme weather events, or the lack of natural resources.
- Reputation risks: negative publicity or a lack of market share due to unsustainable business practices. Not being a responsible business can also affect recruitment and attrition rates.
Naturesave want to help SMEs raise their profile and enhance their ‘social licence’ to operate. This is where this programme comes in. So what can we offer?
The service is available free to Naturesave business insurance policy holders who can receive free support on:
- Climate Literacy support for Board and senior managers
- Assessing climate business risk and advising mitigation strategy
- Carbon Footprinting and carbon reduction support programmes
- Advising on the net-zero strategy
- Assisting with Science-Based Targets
- Stakeholder engagement and low-carbon communications strategy
- Legal Compliance with fast-moving regulations
Through this programme, Naturesave business clients can draw on critical professional knowledge that is key to making the transition to net zero.
Naturesave business insurance client? – book your free consultation click here (please note you will need your policy number)
Not currently insured with Naturesave? Find out what we can offer here