ESGComplete

Compliance guide

Environmental Policy Template for Small Business

An environmental policy is a short statement of how your business manages its environmental impact. For a small business it can fit on a single page. This guide gives you a template, sample wording, and a path to a portal-ready document.

Get a compliant document->See the template

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Key takeaways

  • A small-business environmental policy can be one page, it just needs to be specific and genuine.
  • It's commonly requested by supplier portals and larger customers as part of onboarding.
  • Tie commitments to things you actually do: recycling, energy use, responsible disposal.
  • Use the template below, or fold it into a broader ESG/CSR statement from ESG Complete.

Environmental policy template structure

Keep it short and practical. This structure works for most small businesses:

  1. Commitment statement, a sentence on your overall environmental intent.
  2. Our actions, the practical things you do (energy, waste, water, materials).
  3. Compliance, a commitment to meet relevant environmental laws.
  4. Improvement, a commitment to reduce impact over time.
  5. Responsibility & review, who owns the policy and when it's reviewed.

Sample wording

"[Business Name] is committed to minimising the environmental impact of our operations. We recycle waste, manage energy use, dispose of materials responsibly, and comply with all applicable environmental laws. We review this policy annually and look for ways to reduce our impact each year."

Download the editable environmental policy template

Leave your email and we'll send the editable environmental policy template (Word and PDF) to adapt.

How to write yours in 20 minutes

A fast path for time-poor small businesses.

  1. 1

    List what you already do

    Recycling, switching off equipment, minimising paper, responsible disposal, note it all.

  2. 2

    Write your commitment

    One or two sentences summarising your environmental intent.

  3. 3

    Add one improvement goal

    Pick a single realistic target, e.g. reducing waste to landfill.

  4. 4

    Sign, date and review

    Have an owner sign it, date it, and set an annual review.

Need more than an environmental policy?

If a portal wants a full sustainability or ESG document, ESG Complete builds a portal-ready PDF that includes your environmental commitments, accepted by Felix, Avetta and CM3.

Sustainability Statement (CSR / ESG)

ESG, CSR and anti-slavery in one compliant PDF, built for supplier portals. (AU$499 inc GST)

Get started->

Frequently asked questions

Does a small business legally need an environmental policy?+
Usually not by law, but supplier portals and larger customers often request one during onboarding or tenders.
How long should a small-business environmental policy be?+
One page is fine. What matters is that the commitments are specific and reflect what your business actually does.
Is this template free?+
Yes. The structure and sample wording are free to use. For a broader, portal-ready sustainability or ESG document, ESG Complete can help for AU$499.

Related guides

Sustainability Statement Examples->The outward-facing version of your policy.ESG Statement Template->Covers environment, social and governance.CSR Policy Template->A broader social-responsibility policy.Create your statement->Portal-ready PDF, usually within the hour.