Context and objectives

As the state of nature and biodiversity continues to decline at a dramatic rate, more and more businesses start questioning their relationship with nature with the objective to improve their long-term resilience and viability. While most large corporates have the resources at hand to investigate these questions, this is an important challenge for SMEs. This is especially true in the current economic context.

With 25 million SMEs operating in the EU employing together around 100 million people, SMEs represent the backbone of the European economy. Creating a European Business for Biodiversity Movement will therefore only succeed if SMEs are fully engaged and empowered. But important questions remain unanswered:

• How do European SMEs consider their relationship with nature?
• What are the best practices that pioneering SMEs have developed to date?
• What type of support do SMEs require to further progress on this journey?

To answer these questions, the EU B@B Platform launched a new SMEs and Nature survey with the Capitals Coalition, We Value Nature and the Enterprise Europe Network. The objective of the survey is to better understand how SMEs consider their relationships with nature, what type of support SMEs require and how this support should be implemented.

The results of the survey will be used to inform future programmes that will:

• Support SMEs to better understand the risks and opportunities linked to the loss of nature for their businesses;
• Identify what concrete actions SMEs can put in place to mitigate these risks, maximise these opportunities and improve their decision making;
• Identify how SMEs can improve their positive impacts and reduce their negative impacts on nature;
• Support SMEs strengthening their business models and resilience to future shocks; and,
• Better understand the costs and benefits associated with these activities.

Completing the survey will help us understand how to best support SMEs addressing this topic. The results of the survey will be discussed during the European Business & Nature Summit held on 8 and 9 December. Following the Summit, concrete support activities targeting SMEs will be deployed by the EU B@B Platform and its partners in 2021-2022.

For any questions contact Janne Fillet (+32 2 892 30 09 (direct), Email: janne.fillet@icf.com) or Jerome Kisielewicz (Jerome.Kisielewicz@icf.com).