Yeoh, Jesica Jia Yun
(2021)
Developing a sustainability assessment framework for SMEs in Malaysia.
[Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)]
Abstract
In recent years, the world has experienced a series of global economic, social and climate challenges. This has led to the launch of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which represents a global commitment by all 193 member states to take proactive steps towards achieving a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient world by 2030. Moving forward, as sustainability gains prominence, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those who are supplying to larger organizations or Western players will be expected to adopt sustainability practices within their businesses. Given this, this paper seeks to develop a holistic, practical, and localised sustainability assessment framework for SMEs in Malaysia. Adopting a multi-stakeholder approach, the framework was tested with various sustainability experts, government officials, head of procurement and SME owners. Incorporating relevant suggestions from the feedback sessions resulted in the presentation of a beta version of the 3-tiered assessment framework across the dimensions of environmental, climate change, social and governance. Applications of this framework include enabling corporate buyers to identify capacity-building opportunities for their suppliers and to construct a more resilient supply chain, as well as assisting banks to provide sustainability loans. In addition, potential gaps in the sustainability landscape among Malaysian SMEs may be identified to formulate more effective policies. Future work involves mapping existing certifications and standards (e.g., ISO series) to the framework, customizing the criteria according to specific requirements of each sector, as well as establishing respective weighting values for the different proposed indicators according to the context of a developing country.
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