Climate Change Preparedness and the Small Business Sector

This report outlines how small businesses can emerge as leaders in climate preparedness by maximizing climate-related opportunities and minimizing climate-related risks.  Most significantly, small businesses can maximize revenue by reorienting their business model or launching new products or services to take advantage of increased consumer demand for alternatives to traditional products as a result of climate change.  For example, the report highlights a landscape architecture firm in the western U.S. that experienced increased demand for native, drought-tolerant plants rather than more vulnerable, ornamental plantings.  Furthermore, small businesses can simultaneously minimize losses from extreme weather by strategically investing to make their business more resilient; by developing business continuity plans and by engaging with their local communities to increase education on responding to climate change.

The full report can be read here.