For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), responding to climate challenges or addressing climate-related issues feels both urgent and overwhelming. Customers, investors and employees increasingly expect clear information about carbon footprints, yet SMEs—who make up the vast majority of Canadian businesses—often lack the time, expertise or resources to begin.

“Small businesses know they need to think about climate impacts—they just don’t know how to get started,” explains Kookai Chaimahawong, Executive Director of UBC Sauder’s Centre for Climate and Business Solutions.

The BMO SME Climate Clinic was created to help bridge that gap. Based at UBC Sauder’s Centre for Climate and Business Solutions, the clinic trains students in carbon accounting and pairs them with SMEs across Canada that need practical, hands-on support. The model allows businesses and students to find solutions for the benefit of our planet.

“The future demands bold, business-led climate solutions,” says Chaimahawong. “We’re trying to equip the next generation with the practical skills to make that happen.”

Students receive specialized training in calculating emissions, analyzing supply chains, interpreting operational data and identifying opportunities to reduce both emissions and costs. They then work directly with an SME, often taking the lead on communication and analysis.

“The magic really happens when students drive the conversation,” says Chaimahawong. “Even in many full-time jobs, people don’t get to do the depth of operational analysis our students do.”

For SMEs, the clinic’s support is immediately actionable. Students produce emissions profiles that reveal how a company operates across its full value chain, often highlighting cost-saving opportunities, operational risks and areas of competitive advantage.

“Climate initiatives can’t just be a reporting exercise,” says Chaimahawong. “They help businesses understand themselves more deeply—where their materials come from, what risks they may not see, and where new opportunities might emerge.”

Some companies adjust their materials or redesign processes based on clinic recommendations; others use the insights to meet the expectations of major supply-chain partners. Through partnerships with organizations such as TELUS and MEC, the clinic’s work creates ripple effects across entire sectors.

The clinic began with donor vision and a shared belief in the importance of practical climate solutions. As the Climate Centre was being established, BMO approached UBC with a desire to support a climate initiative that would generate measurable benefits for businesses and communities. Their investment transformed the clinic from an ambitious idea into a nationally relevant program.

“Without BMO’s support, an early-stage program like this wouldn’t have had the validation it needed,” notes Chaimahawong. “Their funding signalled to industry that SMEs deserve help navigating the climate transition.”

Because SMEs do not pay to participate, donor support directly determines the clinic’s reach. Funding also fuels its growing infrastructure, including the forthcoming BMO Climate Lab in UBC’s new Powerhouse building—a dedicated space for training, workshops and collaboration. Additional spaces in development include a climate storytelling media studio and a climate innovation project room—all designed to expand experiential learning and industry impact.

“Every dollar we receive translates into trained students and supported companies,” Chaimahawong adds. “It’s a dual impact model that scales.”

Supporting SMEs is essential to shaping Canada’s climate transition. While large corporations hold the highest emissions, the thousands of small businesses within their supply chains influence much of the overall climate impact.

“Climate change is the biggest business opportunity of our lifetime,” says Chaimahawong. “The businesses that lead today will define the economy of tomorrow.”