Climate Action Programme Empowers SMEs to Lead the Charge on Supply Chain Decarbonisation
Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) concludes the second round of its collaborative supply chain decarbonisation programme with new insights and recommendations for supporting SMEs. The Climate Action Programme involved BITCI member companies: Bank of Ireland Group, ESB and SSE Airtricity along with 30 of their small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from across the island of Ireland. The objective of the programme is to provide accredited carbon literacy training and support SMEs to develop tailored climate action plans.
The programme brings together SMEs and teams from within our member companies for a two-pronged approach: to upskill SMEs and to engage the wider teams with larger corporates to collaborate in supporting the decarbonisation of their supply chains across the island of Ireland. This programme was delivered in partnership with Business in the Community Northern Ireland.
Éadaoin Boyle Tobin, BITCI Sustainability Adviser said “It was great to see an increase in participation in the programme this year and to have large corporates embracing their responsibility to support SME decarbonisation efforts. This year revealed just how much SMEs are already implementing sustainability measures and their keen ambition to do more. This programme proves that when large companies and SMEs unite, the potential for transformative climate action is significant. It is also a driver for future-proofing business operations and reducing risk. But there’s still plenty more to be done”
Insights gleaned from delivering the programme reinforce the need for targeted, practical, and collaborative approaches to SME climate action—led by both large businesses and government bodies. These include:
- Recognising SME Maturity: Build on existing sustainability efforts.
- Focusing on Feasibility: Provide tailored guidance, funding, and tools.
- Standardising with Flexibility: Ensure frameworks are scalable and adaptable to different levels of readiness.
- Offering Practical Support: Deliver action-oriented training, mentoring and signposting to financial supports.
- Engaging SMEs in Scope 3 Conversations: Include SMEs through training and engagement to help their understanding of how they influence value chain emissions.
- Avoiding Carbon Tunnel Vision: Promote SME action across broader sustainability goals.
- Fostering Long-Term Collaboration: Move beyond transactional relationships to co-develop decarbonisation solutions, sharing data and resources and aligning on goals.
The SMEs represented a wide variety of sectors and clearly demonstrated a willingness and ambition to advance their sustainability journey. Some reported utilising more renewable energy sources including Electric Vehicles, solar panels and tracking their usage. Although barriers including economic constraints, information gaps and limited capacity remain. With Ireland’s SMEs accounting for 99% of all enterprises, they are catalysts for change.
The programme was delivered through a series of group interactive training sessions focusing on carbon literacy and sustainability reporting, with ‘learning by doing’ being the preferred method to maximise understanding of the challenges and scope of opportunities.
Ms Boyle Tobin added “As the effects of climate change are already affecting businesses, increasing our collective understanding and collaboration through proactive supply-chain engagement models is the key to ensuring businesses can adapt, respond and thrive. The development of dedicated Climate Transition Plans by large corporates as well as SMEs will help drive progress forward and pivot business operations to be future proofed by utilising low carbon solutions.”
ENDS
Media Contact: June Tinsley – Head of Communications BITCI, jtinsley@bitc.ie, 086 7733221
Access full Insights Paper from All-Ireland Climate Action Programme 2025 here: Climate Action Programme for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) Insights Paper
