The term “sustainability” often conjures ideas about environmental protection and social responsibility in the business realm. Companies are urged to have “sustainable” processes and production goals. However, what does sustainability mean from a corporate governance perspective – particularly for small businesses? What does it mean for an MSME to have sustainable business practices, a sustainable business plan, or sustainable income? Most importantly – what does it mean for MSMEs to contribute to a sustainable economy?

This webinar aimed to:

• Place the multi-layered concept of sustainability for MSMEs from a governance perspective,
• How MSMEs can rework their internal governance processes to become truly sustainable businesses, and
• Give viewers a chance to ask the webinar facilitators about how they can adapt or implement measures suitable for individual business needs to become sustainable.

In this webinar, we learnt:

• Why sustainability is a core pillar of governance, and why it is so essential for small businesses who may not be paying attention to this principle
• The difference between corporate governance structures and corporate governance functions – and how they overlap
• The difference between sustainability as an environmental concern for businesses and sustainable business activities as related to ESG functions
• Sustainability-as-ESG and its role in due diligence reporting for businesses, particularly in terms of investor perception for MSMEs
• Investor trends and how sustainability plays a role in the disbursement of funds
• How resilience plays into sustainability for businesses: the roles of data, transparency, and engagement
• The initial steps a business should take to implement a sustainability mandate