Brace For Impact was born from a frustration with how the climate crisis is being communicated. The data is clear, but the way it’s being shared is failing to land.

At the same time, SMEs represent more than 90% of all companies globally, and generate roughly the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as large corporates. But many hesitate to speak about their impact, fearing misrepresentation or uncertainty about sharing the realities of starting their carbon reduction journey - and as a result, often stay silent.

We’re here to change that. Our mission is to help businesses confidently communicate their sustainability journey, unlocking the opportunities that come with transparency and inspiring others to do the same.

Too often, SMEs are hesitant to start communicating their sustainability credentials because they haven’t yet tackled all areas of their impact. We don’t need perfect - but we do need progress. Therefore, our sustainability reports are designed to be modular (and more cost effective).  This means you can start where you are and build on it over time, adding further areas of environmental and social impact when you're able to.

We hear this a lot. But in reality, most businesses are already doing more than they think. Whether it’s using a renewable energy supplier, educating employees on reducing waste or putting in place a travel policy that discourages high-carbon transport (like planes), these are all examples of environmental action. The first Sustainability Report is always a benchmark, against which improvement can be made over time. In the meantime, you can read this blog to get 50+ list of other ideas for your company’s sustainability story.

Yet.

Regulation is moving up the value chain, which means if your customers aren’t asking now, they probably will soon.

If you wait until you’re required to report your emissions, you’ll have no historical data to draw on. That means your baseline will be set at that point, giving you no track record of progress. Start now and you can show year-on-year improvement when the questions come.

Your competitors are already having these discussions. By preparing early, you’ll avoid playing catch-up and will be able to set yourself up as the competitive choice when sustainability becomes part of the conversation.

Carbon Reduction Plans are increasingly being mandated by clients to suppliers. With that work done, it makes sense to maximise its value. A sustainability report is the next step: it's an annual chance to showcase your achievements and long-term commitments in a way that builds trust, transparency, and brand reputation with a range of stakeholders.

Currently, the terms are used somewhat interchangeably. What used to be called Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) has largely evolved into what we now refer to as ‘sustainability’. The concept of ‘impact’ is a progression of that, and recognises the fact that sustainability is a complex and multifaceted subject. It encompasses a business’s activities across all touchpoints, including the environment, society, employees and other stakeholders.

Greenwashing is when a business exaggerates or misrepresents its environmental credentials to appear more sustainable than it really is.

We’re not in the business of using fancy prose to make a company look like they’re helping when in reality they’re doing harm. But we don’t expect businesses to be perfect. We want to help companies have the confidence to show where they are now, what plans they have in place to improve, and hopefully, over time, demonstrate their progress.

Greenhushing is a recently coined term referring to companies downplaying their sustainability efforts for fear of backlash. This is happening at a time when it’s more important than ever for businesses to shout about their progress. At Brace For Impact, we really believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, with widespread sustainability reporting translating into a collective effort to raise corporate standards.