2030hub is partnering with Lloyds Bank to create a new ‘Sustainable Business Accelerator’ programme to encourage and nurture a growing movement of local small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) ‘Net Zero Heroes’ across the Liverpool City Region.
According to the recent Lloyds Bank 2022 SME Net Zero Monitor, only 7% of national SMEs have achieved their net zero targets, as many businesses prioritise basic survival during extended difficult and uncertain economic conditions.
2030hub has created and will deliver the pilot ‘Sustainable Business Accelerator’ in collaboration with Lloyds Bank by selecting 10 local SMEs from open applications. Each selected business will then receive - at zero cost - three months of fully funded training, mentoring, access to Lloyds Bank's specialised services and expertise, and site visits to provide them with pragmatic, bespoke guidance and a carbon footprint and management plan.
By combining decades of local knowledge and business support experience and providing access to new ESG and sustainable banking products, this new programme will shape the future of localised sustainability business support in a climate-dominated era.
Stephen Sykes, 2030hub Director and Lancashire’s Chamber Low Carbon Programme Director says: “We now need to move sustainability progress away from just the early net zero / ESG adopters and into the mainstream SME community, and that dictates direct help and convening peer groups to create enough volume of awareness to accelerate knowledge sharing.
Smaller businesses often get overwhelmed when starting to approach carbon and sustainability issues and we want to demystify, simply and build early internal capacity for each SME to get them on their way to cost savings and new business opportunities”
The training and mentoring programme has been structured to deliver tangible returns to each participant business on time invested by improving awareness of key relevant topics such as ESG, net zero, circular economy and impact finance, whilst also exploring wider themes such as B Corp and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Lloyds Bank will be sharing details of their new ESG hub including relevant sector-specific sustainable products and services such as their Clean Growth Financing Initiative and Green Buildings Tool.
The group will be expected to provide peer-to-peer support to each other during the programme, and they will also be supported to act as local net zero ambassadors to amplify the reach to the next cohort in Liverpool and other cities.
David Connor, 2030hub Director commented “Liverpool must seize the shift to a net zero economy and that means every business, not just big industry. Small businesses are finding it especially hard to survive in testing economic times, but given the trajectory of carbon-related legislation, supply chain requirements and green finance evolution even the smallest businesses will soon begin to feel more pressure from terms like net zero and ESG.
We are proud and excited to be launching this ‘Sustainable Business Accelerator’ across Liverpool City Region with Lloyds Bank and can’t wait to be sharing 10 amazing case studies of local SME green growth success by autumn.”
Liz Delahaye, Lloyds Bank Regional Development Director North West, “The pursuit of Net Zero has the potential to drive rising investment, innovation, job creation and earnings. But the journey isn’t always a straightforward one. Every business has its own unique structure and challenges.
Recent Lloyds Bank research with over 1000 SME businesses identified that while many are on their journey, many more say they are daunted by how to get started, or form siloed actions into a full business plan. They tell us that there is a need for practical guidance on the simple steps they can take to reduce their carbon footprint.
That’s why we’re excited to be partnering with 2030hub to support a cohort of Liverpool City Region businesses through the ‘Sustainable Business Accelerator’. We appeal to businesses from across all sectors to apply and take advantage of the fully funded programme of support available”.
All SME businesses are invited to apply by briefly answering where they are seeing the related carbon or wider sustainability risk or opportunity.
Applications are now only open to manufacturing and healthcare businesses across Liverpool City Region. Just one simple question and should take no more than 5 minutes.
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Notes to Editors
Images, videos, logos and interviews are available upon request.
2030hub is the world’s first UN-recognised Local2030 Hub and a certified B Corp.
2030hub encourages and supports a place-based approach to accelerating sustainability using key tools such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and B Corp. We connect global challenges, expertise and opportunities to local solutions and needs.
Lloyds Bank
We’re helping businesses reduce their overall costs and energy usage with new Clean Growth Financing opportunities as we move towards a carbon-neutral economy. By transitioning to low-carbon sustainable business models we can make a real difference in tackling climate change.
So, wherever you are on your transition to Net Zero, we’re here to support your business in making a difference to the environment and reducing costs at the same time.
Lloyds Bank Sustainable Business - www.lloydsbank.com/business/sustainability
Contacts:
2030hub - David Connor - david.connor@the2030hub.com
Lloyds Bank – Liz Delahaye – Liz.delahaye1@lloydsbanking.com
