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Grosvenor has helped 28 small and medium sized companies to commit to Science Based Targets for carbon reduction.

The property company’s UK arm established a free mentoring programme to help suppliers with fewer than 500 employees map and reduce their own carbon footprint. Now 28 firms are on the pathway to recognition by the Science Based Targets initiative SBTi).

They will boost the current total of only 140 UK SMEs which have validated near-term targets with the SBTi. Companies assisted by Grosvenor include architects, building surveyors and contractors, security, recruitment, construction and maintenance firms.

The programme will support the companies in abating an estimated 55,000 tonnes of carbon by 2030.

Victoria Herring, sustainability programme director, Grosvenor, said: “Our SME partners are incredibly supportive of our environmental ambitions, but they don’t have the resources of larger businesses. Transformative partnerships are a key part of our own net zero ambition. And, as a critical part of our supply chain we created this programme to help SMEs on their journey but also to support them in remaining competitive with clients.”

“The response has been fantastic and we’re proud to be contributing significantly to the number of SME’s with Science Based Targets. We’ll be looking at how we can expand the programme to support other parts of our value chain.”

Sam Field, director, Murray Birrell Chartered Surveyors – the first SME from the programme to achieve a validated target - said: “As a busy SME with limited resources and lack of designated qualified manpower in this discipline, Grosvenor’s initiative has enabled us to commence our pathway to achieving net zero. 

“The scheme has provided us with the calculation tools, support, and motivation to measure our baseline and to create an action plan for moving forwards towards our target.”

Grosvenor now plans to expand the initiative, most likely to its tenant base. The company has more than 1,000 tenants across its Mayfair and Belgravia estates in London, two-thirds of which are SMEs.