SMEs are the Untapped Heroes of Nature Action

One thing that has struck me again and again is how ambitious many SMEs actually are when it comes to sustainability. The motivation is there. The intent is there. But their understanding of nature remains incredibly narrow, often reduced to on-site planting or community projects. Those things are great, but they’re only a small piece of the full picture.

What I’m seeing is that carbon literacy is miles ahead of nature literacy.
Most SMEs now have someone in-house driving their carbon work, and those people are passionate, capable, and making real progress. That’s genuinely encouraging.
But the connection between sustainability and the rest of the business is still patchy.

Good Leadership is Everything

Where I do see real momentum is when leadership is engaged. A CEO or founder who cares moves the entire system forward, and quickly.
Another pattern that keeps surfacing is something we don’t talk about enough: green hushing (pardon the pun…)
Many SMEs are taking meaningful steps for nature and sustainability, but they’re reluctant to talk about them. Not because they’re doing nothing, but because the fear of criticism is real.
😨 Fear of being told it’s “not perfect.”
😨 Fear of being accused of doing it wrong.
😨 Fear of saying the wrong thing.
And because of that fear, they don’t share the story. They don’t join the conversation. They don’t connect the dots between the work they’re already doing and the broader drivers of nature loss – pollution, land use, resource extraction, and waste. And we SO need them to tell their stories because that builds momentum and that shifts the norms. We want a world where “doing nothing” is not normal.

Change the System

We need to get better at helping SMEs understand that sustainability isn’t only carbon reduction. Waste, water, materials, pollution – these are nature issues too. They all sit within the same system.

The good news?
Once SMEs see this clearly, the shift is instant. Their work feels more meaningful. Their role in the bigger picture makes sense. And suddenly, “small” actions aren’t small at all.
The takeaways from our research so far is simple:
SMEs aren’t the problem. The language, framing, and fear around nature action are the real barriers.
If we can support SMEs with clearer guidance, kinder communication, and proportionate expectations, their nature-positive contribution will be enormous.