Building sustainable SMEs

At Mastercard, we believe in doing well by doing good and part of that means doing our best to support a sustainable planet.

We recently published our 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, which details how we’re leveraging our network, services and partnerships to create a more sustainable world where everyone prospers.

And as a proud supporter of helping Europe’s small businesses thrive, we recognise that there are expectations but also challenges they face when it comes to implementing ethical and sustainable practices, which is not simply about doing the right thing, but it also makes good business sense.

The transition to a low carbon, regenerative economy does present significant opportunities. SMEs with strong environmental practices may also find it easier to attract investment and new talents, acquire and retain clients. Examples of such practices include the use of digital tools and operations, energy efficiencies, waste reduction, and responsible resource management.

But where does Mastercard come in?

Our latest white paper ‘SMEs and sustainability: Identifying challenges, opportunities and solutions’ explores the challenges that SMEs across Europe face when it comes to engaging in sustainable business practices, and identifies the solutions that Mastercard and financial institutions can offer together to support their evolving needs, and to help them navigate through their green transition.

Not all SMEs are fully aware of the benefits of embracing sustainability, which can often be due to limited resources, a lack of knowledge, and the perception that implementing specific practices may not have any real benefits to their business.

For financial institutions, the implementation of sustainable solutions and reporting metrics for SMEs helps to address their own sustainability priorities and reporting requirements, whilst ultimately helping SMEs to thrive. 

We have recently partnered with Omnevue, a financial-grade ESG and CO2e accounting platform.

Through this partnership, we’re able to provide a set of solutions to help financial institutions support their small business cardholders through their decarbonization transition.

This includes a simple and educational ESG Hub for SMEs, but also, fully automated, compliance-centric carbon emissions estimates, adapted transition plans, internationally recognised green certification and a Unique Quality Score.

Additionally, these solutions help to address the compliance needs of FIs with large SME portfolios.

Mastercard also offers a range of digital tools to support SMEs to reduce their GHG emissions; digital invoicing, digital loyalty programs and ecommerce channels, as well as solutions which offer protection against cybersecurity threats as they embrace a more digital future.

Our commitment to helping small businesses prosper is key to helping build a sustainable economy.

By continuing to leverage our technology, resources, partnerships, and expertise, we can drive positive, lasting impact.