Sustainability is now a central issue for business development, regardless of the sector in which any company operates. The topic is certainly very “hot” both on the global and European scene, but also at the national level. In fact, according to data presented in Rome by the Circular Economy Network and ENEA regarding the sixth Circular Economy Report, Italy is a virtuous country in terms of attention to sustainability for Circular Economy interventions, with scores that exceed even those of important countries such as Spain and Germany.
This growth, recorded especially from the last 5-10 years, sees one of its fundamental impulses in the greater involvement of SMEs, which are increasingly protagonists of the sustainability theme and thus of the green transition involving them, and which now represent more than 90 percent of the Italian economic system. In fact, both as a result of the progressive expansion of regulations and the ability of SMEs themselves to recognize in these issues new opportunities for growth of their business, the number of companies that have adopted sustainability practices has strongly increased in recent years.
What are the benefits for SMEs that choose to embrace sustainability?
We can say that these benefits are numerous.
First of all, by virtue of their widespread distribution throughout the territory, resulting in their proximity to local communities, Italian SMEs prove particularly well suited to experimenting and implementing innovative practices and forms of green transition that can then be scaled up and adopted in more complex contexts.
This then brings with it two other key benefits:
- The first is related to the improvement of the company’s image to the outside world, since sustainability is now a determining factor in the choices of both consumers and investors, toward whom presenting oneself as a promoter of sustainable practices thus becomes a strategic aspect to be presided over;
- The second is related to aspects of innovation. In fact, it is often start-ups and/or SMEs that introduce innovative solutions, which, thanks to the flexibility given by their size and adaptability, are able to test and refine their innovations before offering them to a wider market. When it comes to sustainability, this could mean the development of new technologies to support the green transition, the creation of sustainable products or the implementation of business models with reduced environmental/social impact.
SMEs and sustainability: better a phased approach
Although Italian SMEs are increasingly proactive players in the green transition, as mentioned at the beginning of this in-depth study, a key issue on which much remains to be done, however, is that of aid to SMEs to enable them to embark on a path toward sustainability that is meaningful and consistent with their availability.
These realities, in fact, do not have the same possibilities nor capabilities in terms of skills as large companies to be able to implement nationally relevant initiatives. Or at least not on their own.
Hence the increasingly relevant importance of involving SMEs within systemic ESG projects, where through the involvement of networks of companies, institutions and, at times, governments themselves, SMEs actually have the opportunity to take advantage of supports and expertise that would otherwise be difficult to access. With the benefit also for the institutions themselves of promoting the sustainable development of the realities that in fact today make up more than 90 percent of the Italian economic fabric, whose contribution is essential for the achievement of sustainability goals set at the national and international level.
The involvement of SMEs in system-wide ESG projects is therefore an opportunity, for businesses, as well as a necessity for entities and institutions. Being key players in this transformation will not only help create a more sustainable future for our communities, but will enable SMEs to strengthen their position, in Italy and abroad, while continuing to play a key role in the Italian economy.
The challenge is great, the opportunities are enormous, but are SMEs ready to seize them? We at Roncucci&Partners have been helping Italian SMEs to face the challenge of foreign markets for more than 20 years and, today as then, we are able to structure an organic internationalization path that also takes into account the sustainability dimension depending on the target countries.
At Roncucci&Partners we help companies develop themselves and their business, embrace change and evolve to thrive in a world that is increasingly complicated, insidious and requires great expertise. We do this by applying punctual methods and rigorous strategies, the result of many years of experience and the richness of the numerous success stories we have conducted all over the world. Passion and method are indeed our guides to enhance the present and build the future.
