Policy paper

Government response to the Willow Review

Government’s response to the recommendations of The Willow Review, an independent, government-backed review exploring the benefits of sustainability for small and medium-sized enterprises.

• From: Department for Business and Trade and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
• Published: 11 December 2025

Documents

UK government response to the Willow Review recommendations (web version)

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UK government response to the Willow Review recommendations (PDF version)

PDF, 583 KB, 23 pages

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Details

The Willow Review, an independent, government-backed review led by Small Business Britain and Barclays, was published in June 2025. Underlining the financial benefits of sustainability, the review is a timely and thoughtful exploration of how sustainability can be a driver of growth, resilience, and competitiveness for the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It highlights the vital role SMEs play in the UK economy, accounting for 99% of businesses, over 60% of private sector employment, and 51% of private sector turnover.

The Willow Review makes a series of recommendations for government across 8 areas, including:

• improving access to finance
• reframing sustainability messaging
• integrating sustainability into the Business Growth Service

In this document, we are setting out government’s responses to these recommendations, as well as other actions we are proposing in line with the principles of the Willow Review.

Published 11 December 2025