BUSINESS Hunter CEO Bob Hawes says small to medium enterprises (SMEs) will have major roles to play if Australia is to meet its emissions reduction targets.
Responding to the Albanese government's detailing last week of its emission-reduction "safeguard mechanism", Mr Hawes said the focus was rightly on big emitters, but all business was impacted.
He pointed to a survey late last year by Business NSW that found 51 per cent of businesses with "net zero emissions" targets had "no awareness of the implications of net zero or do not understand how their business specifically will be affected".
"At the high level, most businesses believe connecting into forms of renewable energy will move them along the 'net zero pathway' but there is so much more to it than that," Mr Hawes said.
"Energy supply will play a big part but it's not the beginning and end of the story."
Mr Hawes said many smaller businesses would need help to introduce net-zero programs.
"Governments will inevitably need to look beyond the big emitters on the path to net zero," Mr Hawes said yesterday.
"The Hunter region - with its concentration of large energy users, emitters and heavy industry - stands to lose the most if businesses remain flat footed about getting to net zero.
"Some small businesses are seeing their energy prices go up so much that they are either cutting back on investment or scaling back production. We can't let this continue."
Mr Hawes said the Business NSW report - Unfinished Business: Putting small business energy policy back on the table - found employers knew there was a job ahead in terms of decarbonisation.
But it found a significant lack of understanding and clarity on how this will be achieved.
"We will be calling on the Commonwealth to make more support available for smaller businesses as part of its National Energy Performance Strategy," Mr Hawes said.
"If the federal government does not address this issue in a timely manner, we call upon the NSW government to step up and assist in educating the public and businesses about how to reduce emissions, lower energy bills and keep businesses thriving."
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
