Digital platform to support MSME climate action launches today in India

• Micro, small and medium sized businesses account for approximately 30% of India’s GDP, a 49% share of the country’s exports and employ 110 million workers. 
• Indian MSMEs collectively generate 110 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. They are indispensable players for India to reach its net zero goal.
• The SME Climate Hub launches its landing page for Indian MSMEs and features free climate action tools to help the region’s businesses.

New Delhi, India – 31 August, 2023 – Today, the SME Climate Hub launches the initiative’s dedicated landing page in India to empower micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the region to take climate action. The initiative is made possible with support from Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) and Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE).

Available virtually and free of charge, the SME Climate Hub helps MSMEs make a globally recognized climate commitment, and measure, report and reduce their emissions through a suite of tools and resources, including:

• Business Carbon Calculator, which enables MSMEs to identify priority sources of emissions within their business operations
• Climate Fit education course, which offers short, digestible modules as an introductory primer for MSME climate action
• A reporting tool, through which signatories of the SME Climate Hub can report their emissions data on a yearly basis, to track progress on their climate commitment and communicate their action to key stakeholders such as consumers, buyers and investors.

The MSME sector is the backbone of the Indian economy, championing local resource use and innovation, generating employment, and strengthening value chains. The sector accounts for about 30% of India’s GDP, a 49% share of exports and employs 110 million workers – making MSMEs an indispensable player for the country to reach its net zero target. While Indian MSMEs increasingly perceive sustainability in a positive light and are taking proactive action for the climate, they must be supported with the right knowledge and tools to help them take concrete, actionable steps towards a collective net zero target. 

The SME Climate Hub partnered with CRB to launch a pilot project earlier this year to create awareness and build capacity amongst Indian MSMEs across multiple sectors and states. Key activities conducted include:

• Capacity building workshops to help MSMEs understand climate action and their role in mitigating climate change 
• Direct engagements with Indian MSMEs through interviews and surveys to understand gaps and opportunities to enhance the SME Climate Hub’s resources and improve the initiative’s capacity to support MSMEs in the regional context
• Building case studies on industry-specific best practices through interviews with pioneering Indian MSMEs to allow for peer learning
• Cultivating a strong network of partners in the country including local NGOs and industry associations, government departments, financial institutions and businesses to reach MSMEs at scale.

Over 200 forward-thinking Indian MSMEs have already made the SME Climate Commitment. These businesses join 6,500+ global counterparts in committing to halving emissions by 2030, and reaching net zero by 2050.

By joining the SME Climate Hub, Indian small businesses are strengthening the case for MSME climate ambition in India and building a strong basis for evolving policy instruments and incentives for climate action in this sector.

Pamela Jouven, Director, SME Climate Hub, says, “The climate emergency requires rapid action across businesses of all sizes and sectors. MSMEs in India are proactively taking measures to be a part of the solution, and with additional support and guidance they can go much further and faster. The SME Climate Hub serves as an important starting point for businesses looking to begin their climate journey. By making the SME Climate Commitment and reducing emissions through the Hub’s tools and resources, MSMEs can cut costs, elevate their brand, navigate changing regulations and stay ahead of their competitors.”

Devyani Hari, Director, Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), says, “Businesses and their supply chains are extremely vulnerable to climate change and its impact on operations, infrastructure, availability of resources, and employee wellbeing. Despite barriers, an increasing number of small enterprises are taking initiative and embracing greenhouse gas reductions and other measures for sustainability. It is important to scale climate ambition amongst Indian MSMEs and unify them on a common platform to signal to the world that Indian MSMEs can and will lead the charge in global decarbonization efforts.”

The SME Climate Hub is an initiative of the We Mean Business Coalition, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, which simplifies and aids the decarbonisation process for MSMEs. This enables them to commit to and act upon climate targets aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

About the SME Climate Hub  

The SME Climate Hub is an initiative of the We Mean Business Coalition, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign. In collaboration with Normative and the Net Zero team at Oxford University, the SME Climate Hub provides tools and resources to enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to make a climate commitment, take action and measure their progress towards emissions reductions in line with the latest science. The SME Climate Commitment is the official pathway for small and medium sized businesses to join the United Nations global Race to Zero campaign. Over 6,500 businesses across 125 countries have already made the commitment. Find out more at: www.smeclimatehub.org

For media inquiries, please contact:

• Sasha Chebil, Deputy Director, Communications, We Mean Business Coalition
  [email protected]
  
• Disha Ramanan, Consultant, Communications, We Mean Business Coalition
  [email protected] ; +91-9910870842