November 2025
Working in collaboration, the International Universities Climate Alliance, the SME Climate Hub, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and over 50 SME Climate Action experts around the world have shared insights and global academic expertise in a report published during COP30 in Brazil, in response to the following questions:
- How can governments best support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to address their emissions and climate risk exposure?
- What climate mitigation and adaptation solutions (approaches and/or technologies) are proving cost effective or ineffective for SMEs?
Building on the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions’ Climate Proofing SMEs Campaign, and the Drivers, Enablers and Challenges identified in 2024, this Report provides a high-level global summary of the current academic knowledge on how the governments best support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to address their emissions and climate risk exposure and what climate mitigation and adaptation solutions (approaches and/or technologies) are proving cost-effective or ineffective for SMEs.
It represents an initial step in gathering the best available evidence worldwide, serving as a foundation for further research. It was produced through a rapid review process, where academics responded to a global call for evidence, presented evidence at a colloquium, and contributed their findings based on their own work and the existing literature. We invite academics to build on this groundwork by exploring knowledge gaps and fostering collaboration with peers to advance the COP30 Climate Agenda and Climate High-Level Champions’ Global Climate Action Agenda 2026–2030.
Access the Report:
STRENGTHENING THE BUSINESS CASE: SMEs CLIMATE ACTION
Presented at:
Monday 17 November 2025, 12:00 - 13:00 (Belém, BRT)
Blue Zone Session: SMEs at Risk, SMEs as Solution
Hosted by: SME Climate Hub
Get Involved!
If you are an academic expert on SMEs and climate change and would like to join an international special interest group, please reach out to the Secretariat via the 'Contact Us' page.
