According to a recent survey by NSBA: Saskatoon Business Association, local businesses are working hard to implement sustainable practices, it’s just not being recorded.

Dr. Aneela Salman says the aim of the survey was to understand what supports businesses need to begin reducing emissions, supporting communities, and improving workplace inclusion. Among 179 respondents, 66 per cent say they have already taken steps to reduce emissions, but only 6 per cent have recorded them.

“This gap, how we see it, is not an apathy, but a gap with regard to capacity, understanding, and not having the right tools which are easy to use and accessible.”

To address this gap, Dr. Aneela Salman says the NSBA will get working on curating some tools, resources, and educational sessions for local businesses to ensure they’re ‘in the know’. The survey says businesses are all in favour.

Based on the survey, 41 per cent of businesses believe grants would help them do more, 35 per cent would like more online resources, and 34 per cent want toolkits. Only 12 per cent of respondents were aware of the government’s incentives available to them.

“We can understand where the SMEs are coming from, because with constraints and resources and personnel and time, all of these constraints make it difficult to prioritize sustainability as a business priority.”

To hopefully increase the number of businesses recording their carbon footprint, Salman says the NSBA will soon offer a carbon calculator to members and non-members.