Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what strategies he has put in place with Cabinet colleagues to ensure effective implementation of policies that support small business with the transition to net zero; and if he will make a statement.

The Government continues to support UK businesses in meeting their net zero commitments. The former Net Zero Business Champion, my Hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs, led the Race to Zero campaign targeting small and medium businesses, which boasts 2,926 UK small business commitments to date, constituting ~80% of global signups. More widely, most departments now have a ministerial environment lead to ensure that the environment is considered in areas not directly linked to net zero, and Cabinet Office has led on the replacement of Single Departmental Plans with Outcome Delivery Plans across Whitehall, which allows for more joined-up planning across different department’s priorities.

Businesses can visit the UK Business Climate Hub to sign up and get advice on how to reduce emissions, including sector-specific guidance. Upon making a climate commitment, businesses gain access to a suite of tools for reducing their emissions, including a carbon calculator tool, a modular, interactive education course and CDP’s new standard reporting framework. All small businesses making a climate commitment receive monthly communications from the Department, which signpost the latest policy and regulatory changes in addition to the “Together For Our Planet” digital toolkit.