About us
The Earth, and every species on it, is facing a climate and ecological emergency. Small World Consulting exists as a response to that emergency.
We work with organisations of all sizes and in all sectors. We are world-leading experts in measuring the carbon and climate impact of full supply chains and operations. We measure the carbon footprint of landscapes and advise on sustainable land management.
We look at the smallest details to the global big picture. We can help you see yourself thriving in a low-carbon future.
Our mission
Our mission is to help organisations be part of a truly sustainable future.
We help them to understand their full impact
and we inspire them to think and act differently.
Carbon assessment of supply chains, Big Picture Frameworks and land carbon footprinting.
Meet our expert carbon and sustainability consultants, led by Prof Mike Berners-Lee
Our latest media articles, briefing papers, academic research and books.
Our values
We are clear, evidence-based, big-picture thinkers, innovative, inspiring and friendly.
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We are clear, evidence-based and inspiring. We join up the big picture with the practical realties. We call for systemic change as well as individual actions. We don't think perfection should stand in the way of action.
We say it like it is, and will push you to act differently and we support you through the change.
How we got here
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Back in 2005, Mike Berners-Lee wanted to help companies with change management, helping them become more sustainable. He called his company 'Small World' as a reflection of the ever increasing human impact on every part of our planet. Because we're now in the Anthropocene.
He realised that companies needed a way to measure their climate emissions, so they could see which changes would have the biggest impact. Mike figured he'd let the carbon accountants deliver a robust method for calculating carbon in supply chains, and use those numbers for his change management work. But that's when he found a problem.
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Carbon accountants weren't counting supply chain emissions properly. Or even in the same way.
So Mike decided to change that. He built his own models to calculate all the emissions in a supply chain, collaborating with other researchers at Lancaster University.
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Mike put all the surprising things he'd learned about carbon footprints into his first book, How Bad are Bananas, first published in 2010. It brought the idea of carbon footprints to the public, comparing the things we all buy and do, from driving a car or sending an email to buying a pair of shoes or a bunch of bananas.
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From research to the boardroom
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The team at Small World Consulting, still headed by Mike, keep pushing the science of supply chain carbon accounting. Taking pioneering methods hatched in academia, and using them with some of the world's biggest commercial companies like BT Group and Sage.
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Pushing the carbon accounting industry higher
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We don't want to be world-leaders in carbon accounting. We want the whole carbon accounting industry to catch up with us.
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Mike and team continue to inspire the carbon accounting industry and we're proud to be founding members of the Carbon Accounting Alliance, helping to raise standards, share best practice and teach others that there is a way to count absolutely everything in a supply chain.
Want to work with us?
If you share our values, are committed to tackling the climate crisis and are willing to do what it takes to reduce your emissions, we'd love to hear from you. We post vacancies on our jobs page and on our company Linked In page.
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