Guides
ESG guides written for people who run small businesses
No jargon and no lectures. Just clear answers to the questions founders, owners and office managers actually ask.
ESG basics
- ESG basicsHow to write an ESG report for a small business (step by step)Nine practical steps to writing a small business ESG report, from choosing your reporting period to what goes in each section and how to sign it off.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsDo small businesses need ESG reporting in the UK?Most UK small businesses have no legal duty to publish an ESG report. The pressure comes from customers, buyers, lenders and funders, and it is growing.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsESG checklist for SMEs: 20 things to have in placeTwenty practical items covering environment, people and governance. Most small businesses already have half of them and just need to write them down.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsESG for remote and hybrid teamsRemote and hybrid businesses have small, travel-heavy footprints and a strong social story. Here is how to report both honestly, including what to do about homeworking.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsESG for sole traders and freelancers: is it worth it?You do not need ESG reporting as a sole trader, but clients increasingly ask for it. A short, honest report takes minutes and can win you work.Read the guide →
- ESG basics15 low-cost ESG quick wins for small businessesFifteen improvements that cost little or nothing, grouped by environment, people and governance. Most can be done in an afternoon.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsHow much does an ESG report cost in the UK?Prices range from nothing to a large consultancy bill. Here is what you get at each level, and what a small business genuinely needs.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsESG report example for a small business (what goes in it)A walk through every section of a small business ESG report, with example figures for a typical UK office-based firm.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsESG vs CSR vs sustainability: what is the difference?The three terms overlap, but they are used differently. ESG is about measurable evidence, CSR is about what a company chooses to do, and sustainability is the goal behind both.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsHow long does it take to put together an ESG report?Realistic timings for a small business ESG report by business type, what slows it down, and how to get it done in a single sitting.Read the guide →
- ESG basicsWhat does ESG mean for a small business?ESG is a way of describing how your business affects the planet, treats people and makes decisions. For a small firm it is far simpler than it sounds.Read the guide →
Startups and investment
- Startups and investmentEDCI metrics: what portfolio companies report each yearYour investor has asked for EDCI data and you have never heard of it. Here is what each metric means, how to work out the awkward ones, and which figures an ESG report already gives you.Read the guide →
- Startups and investmentESG due diligence when selling a business: how to prepareBuyers now ask ESG questions alongside the financial and legal ones. Here is what they ask, what worries them, and a 90-day plan to have clean answers ready before the data room opens.Read the guide →
- Startups and investmentWhat ESG documents to put in your data roomA tidy ESG folder answers half the diligence questions before they are asked. Here is exactly what to put in it, how to organise it and what to keep out.Read the guide →
- Startups and investmentHow to prepare for an ESG due diligence questionnaireAn investor has sent an ESG questionnaire mid-diligence. Here is what is likely to be in it, what evidence to pull together and how to answer gaps without hurting your round.Read the guide →
- Startups and investmentESG for startups: what investors ask at seed and Series AMost VCs now ask a short set of ESG questions during diligence. Here is what comes up at seed and Series A, and what a good answer looks like when you have a tiny team and no time.Read the guide →
- Startups and investmentHow to put ESG in your pitch deck without greenwashingFor most startups, ESG belongs in one short, evidenced slide or less. Here is what to put on it, which words to handle carefully and how to back every claim up.Read the guide →
- Startups and investmentThe ESG policies to have in place before you fundraiseSix short policies cover most of what investors ask about at seed and Series A. Here is which ones you need, which are legally required and how to write them without a lawyer on retainer.Read the guide →
- Startups and investmentWhat impact investors look for in UK startupsImpact investors want commercial returns and measurable good, linked so that one grows with the other. Here is what they test for and how to get ready.Read the guide →
Grants and funding
- Grants and fundingHow to show a carbon baseline for a decarbonisation grantA carbon baseline is your annual emissions for a recent 12-month period, worked out from your bills with official UK factors. Here is how to build one a funder will trust.Read the guide →
- Grants and fundingHow to prepare a council green business grant applicationCouncil green grants reward applicants who arrive with bills, quotes and a clear carbon saving. Here is how to prepare, step by step, and what to avoid.Read the guide →
- Grants and fundingThe kWh, tariff and carbon saving figures grant funders wantFunders want your annual kWh, tariffs, current emissions, projected savings and the method behind them. Here is where each figure comes from, with a worked example you can follow.Read the guide →
- Grants and fundingUK green business grants that ask for a carbon footprint (2026)Most green business grants in the UK are local, part-fund equipment like LEDs, solar and heat pumps, and increasingly ask for your current energy use and carbon footprint. Here are real 2026 examples and how to prepare.Read the guide →
- Grants and fundingInnovate UK: answering the EDI and environmental impact questionsInnovate UK assessors reward specific, measurable evidence on equality, diversity and inclusion and on environmental impact. Here is how to write both answers well, even with a small team.Read the guide →
- Grants and fundingHow to answer the net zero question in a grant applicationThe net zero question rewards numbers and a believable plan, not big promises. Here is the structure that works, with an example answer you can adapt.Read the guide →
Public sector tenders
- Public sector tendersBidder Climate Change Plans in Scotland: SPD 4C.7 explainedScottish buyers can ask for a Bidder Climate Change Plan at SPD question 4C.7. Here is what the relevant and priority templates ask for, how they are assessed after the June 2026 refresh, and how to fill yours in.Read the guide →
- Public sector tendersCarbon Reduction Plans in Wales: WPPN 006 explainedWelsh public bodies ask for a Carbon Reduction Plan on contracts of £6 million or more, and sometimes on smaller ones. Here is how WPPN 006 works, how it differs from England, and how to get your plan ready.Read the guide →
- Public sector tendersThe NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap: a guide for small suppliersThe NHS is asking more of its suppliers on carbon each year until 2030, and the biggest change for small firms arrives in April 2027. Here is every milestone in plain English and what to do at each stage.Read the guide →
- Public sector tendersClimate action in Northern Ireland tenders: PPN 01/21 social valueIn Northern Ireland, climate commitments are usually scored as social value under PPN 01/21. Here is how the 10% minimum works, what the Delivering Climate Action theme covers and how a measured baseline makes your commitments credible.Read the guide →
- Public sector tendersCarbon Reduction Plans for SMEs: PPN 006 explainedPPN 006 asks bidders for major government contracts to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan. Here is what it must contain, what changed from PPN 06/21, and how a small supplier gets one ready.Read the guide →
- Public sector tendersCarbon reduction plan template and worked exampleThe official PPN 006 template, explained heading by heading, with a worked example showing realistic figures for a fictional small company.Read the guide →
- Public sector tendersNet zero commitment statement for small businesses (with example)A good net zero commitment is short, honest and backed by a baseline and a few real actions. Here is what to include, with two example statements to adapt.Read the guide →
- Public sector tendersSocial value answers for small suppliersYou do not need a big budget to score well on social value. Here is how the PPN 002 Social Value Model works and what realistic commitments look like for a small supplier.Read the guide →
- Public sector tendersWriting the sustainability section of a public sector tenderTender sustainability questions reward specific, measurable answers tied to the contract. Here is how to structure yours, with example wording a small supplier can adapt.Read the guide →
Customer and supplier requests
- Customer and supplier requestsA customer asked you to respond to CDP. Here is how.A CDP request from a customer looks formal, but small suppliers can usually answer the shorter SME questionnaire for free. Here is what it asks and where each answer comes from.Read the guide →
- Customer and supplier requestsDo small businesses need a modern slavery statement?Most small businesses are not legally required to publish a modern slavery statement. Here is who is, why customers ask anyway, and how to give a good answer.Read the guide →
- Customer and supplier requestsA customer sent you an ESG questionnaire. What now?An ESG questionnaire from a big customer feels daunting, but it is usually routine and very answerable. Here is a calm, step-by-step plan to get it done well.Read the guide →
- Customer and supplier requestsDoes a small business need EcoVadis?EcoVadis is a paid sustainability rating some large customers ask suppliers to complete. Here is when you genuinely need it, when you do not, and how to prepare either way.Read the guide →
- Customer and supplier requestsHow to answer a supplier sustainability questionnaireExample answers to the questions that appear on almost every supplier sustainability questionnaire, plus how to handle the ones you cannot answer yet.Read the guide →
- Customer and supplier requestsUK SRS: what your large customers will ask you forUK SRS does not apply to SMEs directly, but it will change what your larger customers ask you for. Here is what is coming and how to have the answers ready.Read the guide →
- Customer and supplier requestsVSME explained for UK SMEsVSME is the EU's voluntary sustainability reporting standard for SMEs, and it now caps what large EU reporters can demand from smaller suppliers. Here is what it means if you are a UK business.Read the guide →
Carbon footprint
- Carbon footprintHow to reduce the carbon footprint of a small businessMeasure first so you know your biggest source, then work through heating, electricity, vehicles, travel, waste, commuting and purchases in order. Includes a worked example.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintNet zero for small businesses: a practical plan for UK SMEsNet zero for a small firm is a plan you control, not a certificate you buy. Here is how to set a baseline, pick a target, cut the sources that matter and report progress each year.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintSME Climate Hub: how to commit and report as a UK small businessThe SME Climate Hub commitment is free and quick to make. The annual report is where most businesses get stuck. Here is what it asks for and how to have every figure ready.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintBusiness travel emissions: trains, flights and mileageDistance times the right factor for each mode of transport. Here are the approximate 2026 UK figures for flights, trains, cars, taxis and hotels, and a worked example.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintCarbon neutral vs net zero: what is the difference for a small business?Carbon neutral means balancing this year's emissions with offsets. Net zero means cutting emissions deeply over time and only neutralising what is left. Here is what that means in practice.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintHow to account for a co-working desk in your carbon footprintYou don't get the bills, but you can still estimate your share of the building's heating and electricity from your desks and the days you use them.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintDEFRA conversion factors explained (2026)The 2026 UK government factors were published in June 2026, and the electricity factor dropped sharply. Here is what changed, which set to use and the handful of figures most small businesses need.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintThe carbon footprint of an office-based businessFor most offices, heating and electricity make up the bulk of the footprint, and you can estimate both from floor area if you don't have the bills.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintScope 1, 2 and 3 emissions explained for small businessesScope 1 is fuel you burn, Scope 2 is electricity you buy, Scope 3 is everything else. Here is how each one applies to a real small business.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintHow to calculate your small business carbon footprintMultiply what you use by the official UK factors and add it up. Here is exactly what to measure, a worked example, and what to do when you are missing a bill.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintWhat does tCO2e mean?tCO2e means tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, a single unit that adds every greenhouse gas together. Here is what it means and what one tonne looks like in real business terms.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintHow to estimate working-from-home emissionsMultiply the hours your team works from home by the UK government homeworking factor. Here is how the factor works and how to gather the figures without a big survey.Read the guide →
Finance, B Corp and policies
- Finance, B Corp and policiesGetting B Corp ready as a small businessB Corp now works on minimum requirements across seven topics rather than a points score. Here is what that means for a small UK business and how to get your groundwork done first.Read the guide →
- Finance, B Corp and policiesCode of conduct template for small businessesA short code of conduct shows customers, funders and buyers how your business behaves. Here is a template covering bribery, gifts, conflicts and raising concerns, ready to adapt.Read the guide →
- Finance, B Corp and policiesEnvironmental policy template for small businessesA one-page environmental policy is one of the most requested ESG documents. Here is a template you can adapt in 20 minutes, and what makes a policy credible.Read the guide →
- Finance, B Corp and policiesESG questions from your bank or insurer, and how to answer themBanks and insurers now ask small businesses about energy, emissions and policies as part of routine reviews. The questions are predictable, and most can be answered in an afternoon.Read the guide →
- Finance, B Corp and policiesGreen business loans: what UK banks ask forGreen loans are ordinary business loans with a better rate or cashback for eligible green spending. Here is how they work and the evidence banks expect to see.Read the guide →
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