Small businesses can use their resources more efficiently with the help of a new Green Performance Toolkit (GPT) developed by the International Trade Centre (ITC).
T
he tool allows small businesses around the world to use data to establish baselines, benchmarks and improvement targets, empowering them to make informed business decisions, produce ESG reports, and prepare for standards compliance.
Businesses of all sizes, including cooperatives, can access the Toolkit for free.
It can be used by small businesses in the apparel/textiles and agro-processing sectors to assess and monitor environmental performance across eight key areas: Environmental Management System, Energy, Water, Waste, Wastewater, Air Emissions, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Chemicals/Soil.
Through a rapid assessment and/or a quantitative assessment, small business owners can identify areas of improvement and receive a report with specific, actionable recommendations to increase efficiency and reduce resource consumption.
For example, a report may find that a printing machine, though using less energy than other machines, still consumes more energy than it should. The Toolkit provides tips to improve the machine’s efficiency.
Access is also provided to learning resources to help small businesses adopt best practices, boost energy efficiency and integrate sustainable practices into operations.
The Toolkit was developed after ITC discovered – when working with hundreds of small businesses in 15 countries – that data collection is a key challenge in the drive for environmental sustainability.
The Toolkit is particularly useful for businesses in developing countries, and pilots were carried out in ITC’s projects in Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Saint Lucia.
Government agencies, business support organisations, associations and financial institutions can also use the Toolkit to support small businesses in adopting green methods.
The Green Performance Toolkit was developed with financing from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is available in four languages: English, Spanish, French and Arabic.
