Fostering convergence in SME sustainability reporting
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a pivotal role in driving sustainable economic growth. Representing over 90% of businesses globally, SMEs collectively have a significant impact on resource use, emissions, and supply chains. According to rec...
Advancing gender parity in entrepreneurship: strategies for a more equitable future
Gender parity in entrepreneurship is not just a moral imperative but a crucial driver of economic growth and innovation. Closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could boost global GDP by 20%, according to the World Bank. Women-led busine...
Entrepreneurship, skills training and impact work to tackle unemployment and build a resilient workforce
Nearly 65 million youth worldwide are unemployed, with many young people at the start of their work life having been impacted by the pandemic. The Global South, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, is particularly affected – with just three new jobs created f...
Small business, big impact: the transformative power of women-led enterprises
Small businesses are the hearts and souls of communities. Your local barber and corner stores offer more than just transactional interactions for essential products and services. They are places where people listen to your everyday problems and foster a s...
2024 SME Assembly – Europe’s flagship event for small and medium-sized enterprises
‘SMEs: Shaping Europe’s Future‘ is the tagline of this year’s SME Assembly, which took place in Budapest, Hungary, from 18 to 20 November 2024. The selected tagline reflects the pivotal role that small and medium-sized enterprises ...
COP29 can ensure SMEs thrive in the net-zero transition – here’s how
The transition to a just, resilient, net-zero future is not possible without small and medium-sized businesses, known as SMEs. They are the engine of today’s economy and the backbone of global supply chains, accounting for about 90% of all businesses an...
Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2024
Since 2020, a series of shocks to the global economy has had significant impacts on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs and their access to finance. Most recently, significant inflationary pressures have led to tighter lending cond...
SMEs can benefit from integrating growth with environmental sustainability
Accounting for about 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the industrial sector is accelerating its efforts to achieve net zero by 2050 or sooner and make environmental sustainability an imperative in response to the growing urgency of climate change....
GEM 2023/2024 Global Report – 25 Years and Growing
Entrepreneurial education in most economies continues to be assessed as poor by national entrepreneurship experts, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2023/2024 Global Report, titled 25 Years and Growing. It’s been 25 years since GEM ...
MSMEs and the Agenda 2030
Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MSMEs help reduce levels of poverty through job creation and economic growth, they are k...
