BUSINESSES in Wales need to build climate action into their immediate plans to make themselves resilient to future shocks.

That is the message from the Wales SME Taskforce, as business owners across the country deal with a myriad of challenges putting pressure on their enterprises.

The taskforce, featuring the Federation of Small Businesses, Business in the Community, Business Wales, ACCA, Sustain Wales and NatWest Business, are well aware it’s a difficult time for firms.

They know that for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), boosting their green credentials, particularly becoming net zero, is not an easy journey.

However, with the expertise on offer through the taskforce, and the potential to collaborate with other businesses taking the same path, it doesn’t have to be such a daunting prospect.

And new research suggests that the move towards decarbonisation could actually be beneficial to the bottom line for SMEs - with a potential revenue opportunity in Wales of between £9bn and £11bn.

Members of the taskforce recently met owners of Welsh businesses at Tiny Rebel in Cardiff, with the Gwent brewery on hand to explain how they are doing their bit for the planet.

Also there to tell their story was Kristian and Kath Morgans of The Roost in Merthyr Tydfil, who highlighted why sustainability matters so much to their glamping business.

“Our Springboard to Sustainable Recovery report talks about the opportunities for SMEs based on the excessive energy prices,” said NatWest Cymru’s business banking senior director Kevin Morgan.

“The report talks about between 55-75% of SMEs between now and 2030 could get a sustainable return by investing in green technologies and driving down their carbon footprint.

“What I would encourage SMEs to do is look at their own individual journey because it will be different for every business.

“The first place to start is to establish what the bottom line is, what’s their carbon start point, use informed opinion, and then set their own goals.

“The resounding feedback we’re receiving is the biggest challenge businesses are facing is cashflow pressures.

“They are reluctant to lock up capital in a carbon reduction project because they want to keep cash back for potential cashflow issues.

“It’s up to us to identify those 55-75% of businesses that can genuinely make a tangible return on the investment in green technology.

“Access to funding used to be an issue but all the banks have got a lot of capital to lend for this.

“Capital is not an issue, it’s getting people to make the decision to invest in this challenge, and there’s lots of other financiers out there that have got capital to lend.

“This is about doing the right thing to make sure people get access to the right funding, at the right cost, at the right time, should they require it to go on their carbon reduction journey.”

Tiny Rebel, started by Bradley Cummings and Gareth Williams 10 years ago, know exactly what it’s like to set off on the journey to net zero.

They have tried hard to instil a green culture within the business and are continually coming up with initiatives to further reduce their carbon footprint.

South Wales Argus:

Tiny Rebel CFO Hannah Williams offers advice to SME's in Cardiff

“I’ve got five kids and I don’t want them being brought up in a world where they’re not conscious about waste and how they’re living,” said chief financial officer Hannah Williams.

“I wasn’t always like that, I think it has changed over the last few years. The world’s a different place now and we’ve got a responsibility as employers to do a lot more.

“It is an uphill journey and we are nowhere near where some other businesses are, but we’re definitely on our way.

"It’s not easy, but there’s a lot of help out there.”