If we are to build a vital town centre where people will feel that Rotherham is a place they feel happy and safe to shop and to socialise we urgently need grants for small businesses to help them go greener. This would include investing an additional £3 billion in Green Transition Grants for small businesses to help them prepare for and take advantage of the opportunities offered by greening the economy. Analysis by the British Business Bank found that SMEs account for almost one third of all UK emissions and around half of total UK business emissions. The Government is currently providing very little financial support for small business in the transition to Net Zero. Despite Chris Skidmore’s Net Zero Review highlighting the challenges faced by SMEs, only small sums from the UK’s Shared Prosperity Fund have been channelled via local authorities.
