Stuck in the middle: Paradoxical responses to environmental sustainability in British small firms

Competing apparently incompatible objectives can create conflicts for small business leaders contemplating environmental sustainability. Prior research has advanced simple win-win or trade-off responses. Adopting a paradox lens and tensions framework, this article examines the narrative accounts of British small business owners navigating the transition towards environmental sustainability. We identified three tensions related to the adoption of net zero practices in small businesses: from competing business goals, from a perceived unfair burden, and from potential accusations of greenwashing. An examination of policy documents at the national, regional and local levels found delegated responsibility and an excessively optimistic prevailing policy discourse. We conclude that, paralysed by the paradoxical tensions and complexity of the situation and given a policy discourse which largely overlooks their concerns, leaders can become stuck in a cycle of inaction or minimal action. Encouraging leaders to embrace paradox and tensions may be an uncomfortable but ultimately more fruitful approach.