Advice

Why SMEs Need Tailored Climate Action Now

James Hand | June 19, 2025

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up 99% of UK businesses—and collectively contribute around a third of the country's carbon emissions. But most SMEs don’t have sustainability teams, net zero consultants, or hours to spare.

That’s where Giki Actions comes in: a streamlined platform built specifically to help time-poor, resource-limited SMEs cut carbon with confidence. Whether you’re a local shop, design agency, or national manufacturer, Giki gives you actions tried and tested by large companies, sector-specific advice, and all the tools to make progress cutting carbon without being overwhelmed.

What is Giki Actions for SMEs?

Giki Actions is a tailored platform designed to help small and medium-sized UK businesses build and implement carbon reduction plans. It offers over 600 verified actions, expert guidance, templates, and AI-driven recommendations—streamlining sustainability in a ready-to-use toolkit.

How Giki Actions Works

Assessment
Our sustainability pros will start you with a brief assessment to identify key areas—energy, transport, waste, supply chain—where your business can reduce emissions.
Build & Prioritise
The platform generates a shortlist of impactful actions. You can prioritise these based on cost, growth potential, feasibility, and timeline.
Implementation Tools
Receive ready-made policies, templates, and implementation blueprints to get you up and running quickly.
Reporting
Track progress and generate carbon-saving reports—ideal for stakeholders and sustainability credentials.

Why Sector-Specific Actions Matter

While Giki offers a broad range of sustainability measures, nearly half of the 600+ actions are sector-specific. This is crucial—because no two SMEs operate the same way.

A retail business might focus on packaging, product sourcing, and store energy use.
A hospitality business might focus on food waste reduction, energy-efficient kitchen appliances, and sustainable sourcing
Construction companies might look at material procurement, equipment emissions, and onsite energy use.
A professional services firm might emphasize client travel, office emissions, and digital sustainability.
Tailored action sets ensure businesses take steps that are realistic, high-impact, and aligned with their operations—whether they’re a 5-person design studio or a 250-person catering firm. Giki’s platform automatically adapts recommendations based on sector and size, helping every SME build a relevant and achievable carbon reduction plan

Benefits for SMEs

Time & cost savings: 75% time gain versus traditional consulting; initiatives cut energy costs and waste.
Client appeal: Demonstrating sustainability credentials helps win and retain clients — measurable action speaks volumes.
Employee engagement: Participation in challenges and training boosts staff buy-in.

Real World Impact

Giki Actions has helped SME clients build carbon reduction plans with, on average, 20 actions that are right for their sector and size covering everything from renewables to board education.
2/3 of clients recommend us to their peers.
As well as building their plans companies are beginning to implement them – over 90% have shown progress moving forward.

Getting Started as an SME

Sign up for a call with one of our sustainability pros.
Complete the initial assessment with our help to pinpoint opportunities.
Select priority actions and use the platform’s tools to implement them.
Monitor progress, report results, and update plans annually.

Quick Action Table

Giki Actions contains over 600 potential actions. Here are some common examples:

Area	Typical Action	Impact
Take action on energy	Conduct “Energy Treasure Hunts”, switch to renewable energy, start green retrofits	ROI from lower energy bills & CO₂ savings
Switch to sustainable materials	Source materials that are better for the environment, create product carbon footprints	Reduce product carbon footprints and pollution
Travel & logistics	Create business travel policies, find lower carbon freight providers, promote active travel	Save costs + emissions benefits
Waste & packaging	Minimise single use plastic, implement improved recycling programmes	Cost savings + brand appeal
Engage employees	Launch gamified challenges, create tailored learning programmes with free resources	Motivation + behavioural change + Learning
Partner with supply chains and customers	Adopt sustainable procurement policies (e.g. supplier questionnaires), educate customers on efficient product use	Build long term relationships

Why Choose Giki?

Practical: Built-in guidance and templates ready to use.
Customisable: Tailored to SMEs, not generic one-size-fits-all.
Deep research: Over 600 verified actions from real-world implementations.
Trusted: Mission led, doing it because we care about the environment.

Summary of SME Steps

Start with assessment → then prioritise actions → implement with project outlines and templates → → report progress → review & repeat annually.