Question

To ask the President of COP26, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that SMEs are represented at COP26.

The UK is committed to hosting an inclusive COP, recognising the importance of showcasing our partners from across the UK, including SMEs.

There was an Expression of Interest application for organisations to submit their proposals to be involved in the UK Government managed spaces of COP26. We encouraged a collaborative approach to applications, and set up a group on the COP26 LinkedIn platform to enable organisations, including SMEs, to find potential collaborators. The deadline for responses was 17:00 GMT on Friday 5 March 2021.

As Presidency, we are keen to showcase businesses and organisations which have set ambitious net zero commitments by 2050 or earlier, with a credible short term action plan, and are encouraging organisations to demonstrate their commitment by joining the Race to Zero campaign, which SMEs can do via the SME Climate Hub.