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The sustainability tipping point: what 2026 holds for UK SMEs
The sustainability tipping point: what 2026 holds for UK SMEs Updated: 12 January 2026 2026 is unlikely to bring a brand new sustainability reporting law for UK SMEs. But your larger clients are facing a different reality, and they are increasingly likely to ask you for sustainability data that is consistent, credible and reusable. Key … Read more
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Say More: Why greenhushing is the real threat to progress
Greenwashing vs Greenhushing: What’s the Real Risk? The other day, I was explaining what we do at Brace For Impact, and the first question I was asked was: “How do you prevent greenwashing?” It’s a fair question (and it’s often the first one that comes up). My answer is straightforward: we follow the CMA’s Green … Read more
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The VSME Standard: A Guide for UK SMEs
The VSME Standard: A Guide for UK SMEs If you’re reading this, you’ve probably searched something along the lines of “what is the VSME standard?” or pehaps “VSME?” or maybe “Is the VSME really V? Is it really for SMEs?”. Fear not, because we have you covered. What is the VSME standard? The Voluntary Sustainability … Read more
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The AI for Good Paradox
The “AI for good” paradox is something we are intimately acquainted with. Environmental impacts of generative AI We recognise the environmental concerns raised by the explosion in use of generative AI, and we have been researching the water and energy consumed in a world that can already ill-afford such drains. The Jevons paradox points out … Read more
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The battle for buy-in: Why one town’s heat network is causing community unrest
Our local town is getting one of the first heat networks in the UK – and the community hates it. Built by Hemiko, the heat network will funnel waste heat between civic buildings – taking low carbon heat from the hospital to warm the museum, for example – and is intended to eventually expand to residential … Read more
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Press release: Business wins innovation grant to make sustainability reporting affordable for SMEs
Brace For Impact has been awarded funding from Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, to solve the problem of how small businesses can talk about their sustainability activities in a way that wins business. The funding will be used to develop ImpactIO: an AI-powered tool that simplifies sustainability reporting for small and medium-sized businesses. … Read more
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How do we offer affordable sustainability reporting for SMEs?
This guide explains how UK SMEs can access affordable sustainability reporting through a balance of human expertise, AI efficiencies and practical tools. It’s the Big Question when it comes to helping UK SMEs communicate their sustainability. On one hand, our sustainability reporting services for SMEs need to be affordable — small businesses are already under … Read more
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Net Zero: a bumpy ride for UK SMEs?
If you’ve sensed a shift in how businesses talk about sustainability, you’re right. The conversation is shifting from sustainability as an environmental motivated strategy, to sustainability to ensure stronger supply chains, a more efficient use of resources and overall, better business performance. The 2025 BSI Net Zero Barometer reveals that while timelines are being reviewed, most … Read more
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So your client has asked for details of your carbon footprint – now what?
Reports of the demise of sustainability have been greatly exaggerated. In reality, more and more UK SMEs are being asked to provide details of their carbon footprint by clients, in order for those clients to fulfil their procurement requirements with their clients. And so it continues up the supply chain. So if you’ve just been … Read more
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Sustainability copywriting: how to talk about your impact without greenwashing
“Be in love with the problem, not the solution”. It’s a good line, when you’re building a suite of sustainability comms products. We care a lot – *a lot* – about helping SMEs in the UK talk about their sustainability. Small businesses represent more than 90% of all companies globally, and generate roughly the same … Read more
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Why the end of the Green Claims Directive doesn’t give the green light to greenwashing
It can seem like a lot to keep on top of green regulation – especially when the goalposts seem to be shifting. But don’t let that keep you from telling your sustainability story. Take the recent shock news that the EU is withdrawing its planned Green Claims Directive, which was intended to address companies making … Read more
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Why “Green Glossing” Undermines Sustainability in Architecture
Architecture leads the way on sustainability. But many practices aren’t telling the full story. Architects, and others in the built environment sector, have made real progress on sustainability. From tackling embodied carbon to choosing better materials, it’s an industry ahead of many others. And it’s paying off. Sustainability is now a key part of procurement, … Read more
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You’re doing more than you think: 50+ Sustainability ideas you’re probably already engaged in
When we speak to new clients, we often hear “But we don’t really do anything on sustainability”. (In fact, we hear that often enough to write a whole blog post proving otherwise.) Most SMEs are already making positive changes, but they’re often not termed “sustainability initiatives”. From choosing a renewable energy supplier to offering flexible … Read more
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What should a sustainability report include?
Pick up a company report on absolutely any subject, and you’ll know how it’s going to play out within three sentences. That opening page will tell you whether you need to steel yourself to get to the end or actively engage with the contents, without being tempted to check your emails even once. So how … Read more
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Corporate sustainability: Is now really the right time?
The Trump administration might have businesses wondering whether now is the time to prioritise corporate sustainability, given that it’s not one for the second largest global economic power. We argue now is the best possible time. Climate change is here, and the effects will be felt increasingly over the next four years of this administration. … Read more
