“Working in a series is one of the best ways to interact small companies within the ESG course of”

The Forum Endear 2022 started this Wednesday (17) in the capital of São Paulo, projecting the ESG (acronym for Sustainability, Social and Governance) concept at the center of the debate for the productive advancement of micro and small companies. Promoted by Sebrae every four years, Endear aims to contribute to improving the competitiveness, sustainability and innovation of small businesses inserted or with potential to be inserted in the value chains of medium and large companies.

President of Sebrae, Carlos Melles, speaks at the opening of the Forum Endear in São Paulo. Credit: Túlio Vidal.

“Micro and small companies are almost everything for the country, it is a sector that has proven to reduce unemployment in Brazil, further strengthening our mission”, said Carlos Melles, president of Sebrae at the opening of the event. Representing the Ministry of Economy, the Special Secretary for Productivity and Competitiveness, Alexandre Ywata, cited Sebrae’s performance as “fundamental” for the economic inclusion of citizens who need it most, those who depend on social assistance and have difficulty entering the market. of work. “We encourage the entry of these people into entrepreneurship through several lines of credit. Today, 30% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is due to the micro and small business segment and we want it to reach 40%.” The future of the economy and business, however, depends on changes in the mindset of entrepreneurs and leaders of large corporations.

The Special Secretary for Productivity and Competitiveness of the Ministry of Economy, Alexandre Ywata, during his speech at the Forum Endear. Credit: Túlio Vidal.

“Business needs to be more transparent and we will only get there with the resilience of companies and the economy as a whole”, highlighted the British consultant John Elkington, guest of honor at this year’s edition of the Forum Endear.

Based on decades of experience, Elkington sees small businesses as the main driver of sustainability. Author of more than 20 books on corporate social and environmental responsibility, he is the creator of the ESG concept, the management model on which sustainable investments are based today. “Sebrae must be attentive and must encourage the adoption of measures that mitigate the negative environmental impacts generated by micro and small companies, starting with their facilities, which can, for example, favor natural ventilation and light.”

And, in order to convince entrepreneurs that acting in an ecologically correct and responsible manner is more than necessary in a world in transformation and devastated by the climate crisis, Elkington recommends: “Working in a chain is the best way to engage small and medium-sized companies in the ESG process”.

British consultant John Elkington, author of more than 20 books on corporate social and environmental responsibility. Credit: Túlio Vidal.

Schedule

This Wednesday’s afternoon program at Endear includes four panels with leaders of large companies: “Potentialize results with ESG practices in the value chain”; “End-to-end competitiveness”; “Innovation as a differentiating factor” and “Building the future and sustaining the transformation”.

On the second day of the event, there will be more than 20 lectures on innovation, investment and business topics, such as digitalization, ESG for small businesses, female entrepreneurship, among others. Also on the 18th, the proposal is to generate business between large and small companies, with the event being divided into three environments: Business – when a face-to-face business round will be held with 30 anchors –, Innovation – with the exhibition of cleantechs of Sebrae projects – and Investment – ​​which provides for an investor bank. At the same time, the program includes three stages with lectures and 20 to 30-minute cases with topics of interest to small businesses.

Source: Agência Sebrae