ESG RATING corporate finance network brings together cross-functional expertise and skills to support the dissemination of a sustainability-driven culture among small and medium-sized enterprises as well, using a simplified yet reliable metric aligned with the European Taxonomy principles.

This has led to a project designed to help SMEs implement an effective sustainability planning strategy, with the following priorities:

• Redefine, together with management, a governance model that enhances long-term economic performance while integrating social and environmental aspects, engaging internal corporate functions and identifying stakeholders whose decisions affect the company’s success, resilience, and longevity (engagement)
• Gap analysis to assess discrepancies between current sustainability practices and those of a mature ESG management model aligned with the ESG Taxonomy
• Benchmarking against the most relevant competitors in the market and assessment of the investments required to improve the ESG Rating
• Development of an adequate and comprehensive set of KPIs to support periodic monitoring of ESG performance, enabling the preparation of credible sustainability reporting
• Presentation of ESG performance to institutional investors and banks to obtain sustainable financing sources and risk capital
• Research and submission to European funding calls to secure sustainable non-repayable financial resources