SME Sustainability Research – Wave 2

Key findings of the second wave of Amárach research which surveyed over 344 businesses to identify the factors that motivate small and micro enterprises to become more sustainable.

Key findings:

• 85% of businesses say sustainability is important to their business on a day-to-day basis, maintaining the high levels recorded in the 2024 research.
• Businesses said that making a positive difference (35%) and saving money (34%) were the top motivations in becoming sustainable.
• Just over a quarter of business say that climate change is currently affecting their operations, rising significantly among larger firms and those operating for more than 20 years. Among affected businesses, adverse weather is now the dominant impact, reflecting the growing reality of extreme weather events.
• Most sustainability action is concentrated in practical, cost-effective areas: waste reduction (49%), energy efficiency (44%), and renewable energy adoption (33%) remain the most common measures adopted by businesses.
• The main barrier for organisations to act more sustainably remained upfront investment costs (22%), although at a lower rate compared to the 2024 survey.