Grosvenor announces new mentoring programme to support SMEs gain Science Based Target

Twenty eight small and medium sized companies are set to gain a Science Based Target, the globally recognised gold standard carbon reduction pledge, in the next few months thanks to a free mentoring programme established by Grosvenor Property UK.

Building on the business’ experience of gaining a validated Science Based Target in 2021, Grosvenor created a free 8-month programme delivered by Heart of The City to help its SME suppliers, those with less than 500 employees, map and reduce their own carbon footprint.

Just 140** UK SMEs have validated near-term targets with the Science Based Targets initiative. With 28 participants committing to gaining validation, this programme will increase the number of small independent businesses with Science Based Targets by c20%.  

Companies including architects, building surveyors and contractors, security, recruitment, construction and maintenance firms gained support across workshops, clinic sessions and 1:1 mentoring in calculating their baseline, setting an action plan and submitting for a validated Science Based Target.

Having baselined their emissions and now committed to achieving a near term Science Based Target, the programme will support the companies in abating an estimated 65,000 tonnes of carbon by 2030, equivalent to heating 26,000 UK homes for a year.

Reasons for joining included low internal resource and knowledge around sustainability, gaining support and peer group networking opportunities as well as ability to meet future client demand for aligned net zero committed partners.

Victoria Herring, Sustainability Programme Director, Grosvenor, commented “Our SME partners are incredibly supportive of our environmental ambitions, but they don’t have the resources of larger businesses. Transformative partnerships are a key part of our own net zero ambition. And, as a critical part of our supply chain we created this programme to help SMEs on their journey but also to support them in remaining competitive with clients.

“The response has been fantastic and we’re proud to be contributing significantly to the number of SME’s with Science Based Targets. We’ll be looking at how we can expand the programme to support other parts of our value chain.”

Rachael Owens, Head of Sustainability, Buckley Gray Yeoman added: “Thanks to Grosvenor’s support we’ve been able to accelerate the rate at which we’ve scoped our emissions and put targets in place.

“All companies are faced with a mammoth task, and the best intentions won’t be enough. We’re part of an ecosystem in which we’re all connected by our impact on this planet. Science Based Targets are essential in holding ourselves and each other to account and are fundamental to giving practices like ours that ‘north star’ to guide our decision making.

Find out more here.