Small
business / Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Defined in terms of number of employees and turnover, the
numbers depending on which region is at stake, small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain the backbone of any
national economy. Their role in taking sustainability mainstream
is critical, mindful of the accumulative impact that many
small actions in daily business operations can have. The
need to provide support and build the capacity of SME managers
has been repeated may times. UNEP remains ready to work
with partners in different regions and industry sectors
to help address this need. Foundational material is available
to use as reference, in particular The Efficient Entrepreneur
with its innovative text which remains highly relevant.
We are also expanding its coverage into the broader sustainability
area, helping to develop introductory guidance on Social
Responsibility through The SMART Entrepreneur.
In 2000 we joined the
Eco-Efficiency and Sustainable Enterprise Group at the
Wuppertal Institute in Germany in developing The Efficient
Entrepreneur calendar. This innovative product provides
training specially adapted to the needs of small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) world-wide. The calender is available
in growing number of languages including English, French,
Spanish and Turkish. New language versions can be prepared
in co-operation with any industry or business association
interested.
How does it work?
In combination with its users' guide, the calendar provides
assistance on how to measure and improve business performance.
It introduces action steps that are easy to assess and evaluate.
Its "month-by-month" programme starts with appointing
a team coordinator in January and ends with a simple Efficient
Entrepreneur Report by December.
Who is it for?
The calendar is useful to any firm that considers itself
to be an SME-type company. It will be beneficial to any
company that requires an introduction to performance measurement
and communication. It helps companies find out how much
energy, water and raw materials they consume, how much pollution
they produce, and where costs can be reduced and customer
satisfaction improved.
New plans:
UNEP and the Wuppertal Institute have been joined by the
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in transforming the Entrepreneur
into a sustainability project that also covers socio-economic
issues. An introduction for SMEs to use of the GRI Guidelines
in sustainability reporting has already been launched. See
the High 5! and follow up guide online on the website of
the Global Reporting Initiative. Further funding is being
sought for the SMART Entrepreneur, introducing SMEs to social
responsibility issues and related management challenges.
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