Generali sustainability forum: inflation and the energy crisis hindered the green transition of domestic SMEs

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 12. 14. 09:15

38% of Hungarian SMEs have already implemented a sustainability strategy or action plan, or are currently in the process of introducing one, which represents a 4% increase compared to the value measured last year – it was revealed at Generali’s sustainability forum last week, where the insurance company The Hungarian aspects of a large-scale survey conducted as part of the SME EnterPRIZE project were presented. The research carried out jointly with the Italian SDA Bocconi asked more than 1,000 European businesses about their efforts in the field of sustainability, also mapping the main challenges. In addition, however, the White Book compiled on the basis of the results also provides useful information regarding what incentives can be used to support SMEs in the green transition.

Among the countries participating in the survey, Germany (55%), Italy (52%) and Portugal (49%) perform the best in terms of the proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises following an ESG strategy, followed by Austria (44%), Spain (43%), and France (39%) follows, leaving behind the Czech Republic (35%) and Croatia (31%) – so Hungary is in the middle with the result of 38%. The research points out that the more employees a company employs, the more typical it is that it has a conscious sustainability strategy, and a similar jump can be observed in the industrial and construction industry segments in the examined European countries. In terms of connecting environmental and social aspects, domestic small and medium-sized enterprises perform below average, especially with regard to relations with employees, new products and local communities.