The SME Climate Hub Debuts in Spanish, Increases Accessibility to Net Zero Emissions Reductions

The initiative launched in collaboration with the local government and multinational, Spain-based businesses including Iberdrola, Telefónica and BBVA 

Madrid, October 14, 2021 – The SME Climate Hub launched in Spain today, increasing the accessibility of climate action for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) around the world. The launch, marked by a translation of the SME Climate Hub website, saw support of regional organizations and businesses including the Spanish Office for Climate Change, the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE), the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CEPYME), the Spanish Group for Green Growth (GECV), the #PorElClima Community and prominent multinationals such as BBVA, Iberdrola and Telefónica. 

The SME Climate Hub was founded by the We Mean Business Coalition, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign in collaboration with Oxford University and Normative to provide small and medium sized businesses with a one-stop-shop to make a climate commitment and access best-in-class tools and resources to mitigate their environmental impact. Small to medium sized enterprises account for 90% of business worldwide and affect the livelihoods of over 2 billion people worldwide. In Spain alone, there are more than 1.3 million SMEs, employing approximately 8.5 million individuals, and representing a substantial market share that cannot be left behind in the race to net zero. By expanding the initiative to the Spanish language, SMEs in Spanish-speaking countries are enabled to take immediate climate action. 

To commemorate the initiative’s Spanish launch, businesses and government in the region came together for a discussion on the importance of small business climate action. The event saw the participation of Valvanera Ulargui, the Director of the Spanish Office for Climate Change, María Mendiluce, the CEO of We Mean Business Coalition, and Gonzalo Muñoz, High Level Climate Action Champion of COP25.  Leaders from BBVA, Iberdrola, and Telefónica and members of organizations such as Grupo Español para el Crecimiento Verde, CEOE-CEPYME and the British Embassy in Spain also participated.  

Earlier this year, the SME Climate partnered with the UK government to launch its “Together for our Planet” campaign, in which the government encouraged local businesses to take climate action, regardless of their size. Since the launch of the campaign, over 2,200 UK SMEs have committed to cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions before 2050, a success that reflects the value of government support.  

The round table also included the participation of María Cortés, the CEO of Laragon, a small business consulting firm based in Spain and relying on the SME Climate Hub to take robust action. During the session, María Cortés noted, “We can all do something. We can all generate a positive impact in this battle against climate change, including SMEs. The best thing about the SME Climate Hub is that it is oriented to the size of our organization, that it allows setting ambitious but realistic objectives and that it provides tools and resources to achieve them.”  

The science is clear: we need to halve our emissions by 2030 to deliver a zero-carbon world in time. To meet this goal, every business, no matter their size or industry, has a role to play. We need all companies around the world to commit to a net-zero future. With the launch of the SME Climate Hub in Spanish, we have moved one step closer to bringing every company on board. Together, with the support of the Spanish government and leading corporations in the region, we can go further, faster.