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Announced today, Sydney-based cleantech Greener has partnered with energy giant Origin (ASX: ORG) to roll out a new platform designed to help millions of small and medium businesses (SMBs) hit sustainability goals.
Co-founded in 2019 by Tom Ferrier and Neil McVeigh, Greener is a digital platform that allows consumers to link their bank account, track their carbon impact and receive suggestions on they can make more environmentally-friendly purchases.
The new platform, dubbed Greener for Business, has been backed by a coalition of companies and organisations, including Origin, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Sendle, Mr Yum, Shopline, and Better Packaging Co.
The partnership with Origin will allow SMBs that join Greener for Business to unlock a range of offers, such as getting solar or GreenPower – which is a voluntary government program that guarantees electricity use is matched with power from renewable electricity sources.
“We know small and medium businesses are the backbone of Australia's economy, but many are also cash-strapped, time-poor, and under a huge amount of pressure just keeping their heads above water,” said Ferrier.
“That’s why we’re working hard to help them get greener and save money at the same time.
“And it’s partners like Origin that help us move the needle and deliver scalable impact by making it easy for SMBs to reduce their emissions — like switching to 100 per cent government-accredited GreenPower - one of the best ways to reduce emissions from electricity usage.”
According to a report released by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman earlier this year, more than 98 per cent of businesses in Australia comprise small-to-medium sized enterprises. Collectively, the 2.5 million businesses generate around $500 billion of economic activity and account for one-third of the nation’s GDP.
The report, titled Small Business Matters, also found that around 43 per cent of small businesses failed to make a profit, while 75 per cent of small business owners take home less than the average wage.
Greener for Business aims to address this problem by helping SMBs access solutions and government rebates that both help tackle climate action and unlock potential savings. One example is switching to LED lighting, as it could save the average small business upwards of $2,300 and take the equivalent of 3.8 cars off the road in emissions per year.
The new platform works by asking the business owner a set of questions, which will help formulate a step-by-step plan of what they can do to reduce emissions. The app also offers guides for topics like energy, waste, electrification, transport and packaging.
Greener for Business has also received the support of local city councils like North Sydney, Willoughby, Yarra and Moonee Valley, and Ku-ring-gai in metropolitan Sydney.
“As one of Australia’s leading energy retailers, we are dedicated to supporting all our customers, including small and medium businesses, throughout their carbon reduction journey by providing tailored energy solutions,” said Origin small and medium business - retail general manager Jonathan Mattock.
"We are delighted to partner with Greener to provide small and medium businesses with affordable, customised solutions, giving customers better access to great value and a broader range of solutions outside of energy."
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