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SMEs and entrepreneurship

The Road to Net Zero: Where do SMEs Stand?

 

OECD Platform on Financing SMEs for Sustainabiltiy Webinar Series

"The Road to Net Zero: Where do SMEs stand"

 

 4 February 2022  13:00-14:30 CET Remote  


  

The green transition of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is critical to achieve climate targets. SMEs have a considerable aggregate environmental footprint, but, thus far, they have made limited progress in greening their business models. The business case for SME investments in green technologies or processes is impacted by many factors, including the regulatory and administrative environment, consumer preferences, the opportunities, risks and costs associated with investments in new and rapidly changing technologies, etc. Access to finance is critical when SMEs decide to undertake green investments, and they may face specific constraints due to traditional barriers (e.g. asymmetries of information, higher cost of finance, etc.) and barriers specific to sustainable finance (e.g. limited range of sustainable finance products relative to SME needs).

This webinar sought to take stock of the current landscape and the opportunities and challenges that SMEs face in their journey to net zero. In the face of substantial knowledge gaps on SMEs and greening, many institutions are conducting research to establish a baseline for measuring progress on this journey. The webinar offered the opportunity to shed light on questions such as:

  • Where do SMEs stand in their journey to net zero, in terms of awareness, actions and investments?
  • What are the key drivers motivating SMEs to adopt green processes and develop green products?
  • How do SMEs differ in their approaches according to firm size, sector and region of operation?
  • What is the role of finance, and what can financial institutions and policy makers do to support SMEs?

 

 

 

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Agenda

Key Highlights

Presentations:

 

 

CONTACT

For more information, please contact Miriam Koreen 

 

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