Two of the most pressing policy questions for the United Kingdom are how to raise productivity and how to transition the economy to net zero. Small- and medium-sized enterprises as a whole make a major contribution to emissions of greenhouse gases and to the UK’s economy. The UK cannot reach net zero without SMEs taking action – yet not many are adopting existing measures to reduce emissions.

Researchers examined the case for supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take action on net zero, the challenges for policy interventions and the role for experimentation.

This scoping study is intended to guide future research and the development of policy interventions that can boost small business productivity and contribute to net zero.