Publications

International business investors can embed sustainability in each step of their operations. This guide describes the social, environmental and economic practices that international firms must understand when entering a new market.

The design of governance structure of social and environmental sustainability standards determines how accessible they are to producers in developing countries.The increase in consumer demand for sustainable trade has given rise to a growing array of social and environmental standards. This joint...

The SME Competitiveness Outlook 2021 analyses how small businesses can rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic so they are prepared to face the looming climate crisis. It provides a 20-point Green Recovery Plan to foster competitive, resilient and environmentally sustainable small and medium-sized...

African tech hubs play an important role in building fledgling entrepreneurial ecosystems and helping start-ups, but they struggle to earn revenue and become financially sustainable. This report, based on interviews with dozens of hubs across Africa, examines what hubs do, how they make an impact...

Small and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya are an underexploited resource with significant potential to boost inclusive growth.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia play a key role in boosting growth and job creation.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Botswana are engines of job creation with significant potential to foster economic diversification.

Many climate-smart technologies exist in Pakistan to help farmers adapt to climate change. These include commercially available technologies and those developed locally. Various factors hinder their uptake, limiting climate resilience.

This summary provides highlights of how small businesses can rebuild from the pandemic in a way that helps them face climate change – and how governments, business support organizations and lead firms in international value chains can support them through the Green Recovery Plan.

Understanding the global demand for environmental goods and services can unlock new export opportunities for developing country SMEs. This study provides a market overview of this complex sector, which reached an estimated US$ 866 billion in 2011, and is expected to rise to US$ 1.9 trillion by 2020...

Increasing the competitiveness of small firms in the Philippines is vital to build resilience to shocks while promoting sustainable and inclusive growth.

What keeps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana from being competitive in international markets is often not of their own making, such as unreliable electricity and high interest rates.