A Shropshire businessman is urging SMEs to take advantage of a free event this month which will get them started on their journey to net zero.

Michael Harte, managing director of British cheese and dairy supplier Bridge Cheese, said those not taking sustainability seriously were at risk of losing valuable business contracts.

He said: “Big organisations are without doubt looking down their supply chain for responsible businesses to deal with. That means SMEs are in danger of losing out on business if they don’t take sustainability seriously and cannot evidence an effective strategy for reducing their carbon impact.

“It’s quite simple – if businesses fail to take action now they are risking their future.”

On June 27, Shropshire Growth Hub and Business Net Zero, will host the ‘Carbon reduction – get your business on the right path’ event for businesses based in the Shropshire Council area and Michael urged SMEs to attend if they can.

“This is an ideal opportunity for small businesses to work out what they can do and how to get started on their carbon reduction journey,” he said.

“They will have the chance to draw on the expertise of Sue Burnell from Business Net Zero, who has been supporting us to implement our own effective sustainability measures, and they will have the opportunity to share ideas with other like-minded businesses.”

Sue added: “By improving their sustainability businesses don’t just reduce their impact on the environment – it’s a fact that sustainable businesses also save money, reduce waste and improve staff engagement.

“If not already, supply chains will want to see evidence of a business's carbon reduction measures, and their customers certainly will too. And that’s before you factor in government legislation to be at net zero carbon emissions by 2050. To achieve that, businesses will need to have done most of that work by the end of this decade.

“This event will help businesses identify what needs to be done and help them to take the first steps on the journey.”

The free, day-long event is for micro, small and medium sized businesses in Shropshire that want to develop an informed response to climate change, Government legislation, customer demand and supply chain requirements.

It takes place at the University Centre in Frankwell, Shrewsbury, on Thursday, June 27 from 9:30am–4pm. For more information and to register, visit the Eventbrite booking page.