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Is sustainable finance leaving SMEs behind?
Oct 2, 2023 | 11:40 AM - 12:55 PMConference Room CC12
Oct 2, 2023 | 11:40 AM - 12:55 PM
Conference Room CC12
SMEs are increasingly affected by emerging sustainability reporting requirements. Not only are SME suppliers of large enterprises being called upon to provide data on their sustainability performance or they risk losing contracts with reporting entities, but a large share of the SME population is also at risk of losing access to external financing from providers that are now required to report on the sustainability of their financed portfolios. Yet few SMEs currently measure and report on their sustainability performance, and most SMEs have limited resources and capacities to undertake such reporting. The risk is amplified for SMEs in high emitting and hard-to-abate sectors and regions as financial institutions seek to steer their financing and investment portfolios toward green and sustainable investments and sectors. This session will explore these emerging challenges and the role that different actors - at the national and regional level - can play in supporting SMEs in this changing financing ecosystem.
