Small businesses and communities are the backbone of the economy and their work is especially critical for promoting sustainable development in the Global South. Despite having scalable solutions, the ideas and voices of these businesses remain underrepresented at a global scale especially in important forums.

Keeping this skill gap in mind, we are keen to introduce our course, ‘Integrated Sustainability Strategies for Climate Leadership’, designed to empower Small and Medium-sized businesses in South Asia, with Boston Consulting Group as our knowledge partner.

Objective
The objective of this course is to foster climate leadership, enhance competitive advantage, equip employees with sustainability practices, and promote stakeholder engagement for scalability.

Module 1: Introduction to Climate Leadership
This module provides participants with a foundational understanding of climate science, its impact on businesses, and the pivotal role of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in climate action. Participants get to explore the basics of climate science, the consequences of climate change, and its effects on the global population. The module highlights the significance of climate leadership for SMEs, shedding light on the economic benefits, enhanced reputation, and risk mitigation associated with proactive sustainability efforts.

Module 2: Chasing Climate Leadership and Action
Module 2 explores why climate leadership matters, climate solutions, technologies that align with market opportunities.It will help develop a comprehensive understanding of the role small businesses play in addressing climate change.

Module 3: Accelerate Your ESG Journey
Module 3 talks about the tools and knowledge that will help SMEs to embark on a journey towards sustainable and responsible business practices.

Module 4: Marketing, Branding and Stakeholder Engagement
In Module 4, we will uncover the disconnect between consumer sentiments and actions regarding sustainability, and explore strategies to bridge this gap. This module delves into the barriers that consumers face when embracing sustainable choices and offers insights into crafting tailored strategies to promote sustainable decision-making.

Module 5: Financial & Regulatory Strategies
Module 5 covers the various funding options for climate-focused businesses. We broadly speak about attracting investors, and managing sustainability-related risks for small and medium businesses.