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Economic development

SMEs in Asia-Pacific Gain Access to Free Online Platform to Enhance Sustainability

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) working in the textile and apparel sectors in the Asia-Pacific region now have access to a digital tool that helps them assess their ability to meet sustainability certifications and build a plan to strengthen their participation in sustainable trade. The SME Sustainability Standards Navigation Toolkit, developed by the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Trade and Supply Chain Finance Programme (TSCFP) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), is a free online platform that simplifies complex technical information and translates global sustainability frameworks into locally relevant actions. The platform has already been piloted with over 100 SMEs across Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam, and is now being scaled to new sectors, including agriculture.

Key Takeaways:

  • The SME Sustainability Standards Navigation Toolkit is a digital tool developed by the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Trade and Supply Chain Finance Programme (TSCFP) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Asia-Pacific region assess their ability to meet sustainability certifications.
  • The platform uses a quick scan to evaluate an SME's readiness to comply with sustainability standards and generates a customized self-assessment and detailed improvement plan with targeted recommendations and practical steps.
  • The platform aligns with the ITC's Standards Map, the world's largest database of voluntary sustainability standards, ensuring that SMEs are connected to trusted global benchmarks and certification systems.
  • The Toolkit features resources that enable financial institutions to better understand and assess the sustainability performance of SME clients, including a verified registry of certified businesses and tools for banks to integrate sustainability screening into lending decisions.
  • The platform is free and available to SMEs, financial institutions, and policymakers, and is currently being scaled to new sectors, including agriculture.

Statistics:

  • Over 100 SMEs across Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam participated in the pilot of the SME Sustainability Standards Navigation Toolkit.
  • The ITC Certified Business Registry already includes over 50,000 sustainable businesses.
  • The Toolkit can support banks with or without established Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) systems.
  • The platform is expected to increase the supply of sustainability-linked finance in developing economies.

Sources:

  • International Trade Centre (ITC)
  • Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Trade and Supply Chain Finance Programme (TSCFP)
  • World Trade Organization and the United Nations
  • ADB's Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program (TSCFP)
  • International Trade Centre - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.

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