In a Council meeting held yesterday, Sheffield’s Councillors voted in favour of a motion setting out an ambition to support Sheffield’s SMEs to address climate impacts.
Supporting small businesses will be a challenge to reach net zero. Despite accounting for 50% of UK business emissions, 76% of SMEs do not have comprehensive decarbonisation strategies. 35% of small businesses have identified cost as a barrier to reducing their carbon emissions.
The motion, proposed by Labour Councillor Minesh Parekh, set out some of the measures that Sheffield City Council have undertaken to support businesses be greener, including a £3.4m grant recently approved by its Economic Development and Skills committee to help businesses invest in energy efficiency measures, and the opportunities for local businesses through the expansion of the district heating network.
Minesh Parekh, Labour’s lead for Economic Development and Skills, said:
“Sheffield’s small businesses want to be leaders on the climate. They need a willing partner in Government that will invest in low-carbon and zero-carbon energies, and provide for businesses.
“With record high energy costs, this should be a perfect opportunity for them to invest in energy efficiency measures and scale up renewables, so that households and businesses can have greener and cheaper supply.
“We will do everything we can to support our businesses to decarbonise and save on energy costs. The Government must meet us in our ambition.”
The motion also highlighted the recent £80m investment secured for a Boeing-led manufacturing project at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, and that Sheffield’s draft Local Plan sets out a vision for bringing ‘advanced manufacturing and green industries and will deliver high-skilled, high-wage jobs’. The draft Local Plan was also voted for at the same meeting, and Sheffield Labour Councillors have pushed for a focus on advanced manufacturing in the Plan throughout its formation.
It also stated that climate change must be addressed ‘in a way that creates good green jobs’, and that ‘pursuing a decarbonisation agenda will unlock social, economic and climate opportunities.’
Ben Miskell, Sheffield Labour’s Climate lead, said:
“Through our Decarbonisation Routemaps, Sheffield City Council is setting out ambitious plans to address the climate emergency.
“There is a key role for our businesses to play in this, and we know the Government must do much more to mitigate rising energy costs and facilitate our businesses to lead on this vital agenda.”
