Access to new markets

Contributing to the SDGs allows your SME to access new market segments that will be fundamental in the economy of the future, such as new technologies, the circular economy, inclusive business, renewable energies and the ecological economy.

Business with large companies

Large Spanish and foreign companies are investing more and more in sustainability and assess and demand compliance with this from their supplier companies. According to an analysis conducted by the Global Compact’s Spanish Network, 66% of the IBEX 35 companies already evaluate their suppliers according to social criteria, 71% evaluate environmental criteria and 80% are already contributing to the SDGs. SMEs that contribute to the 2030 agenda will therefore see increased opportunities to close agreements with large companies, and to maintain the business they already have with them.

Trust in the brand

Responsible consumption is an upward trend. 64% of Spanish consumers already take sustainability, that is to say the possible negative social or environmental impacts of the products and services they buy, into account in their purchases almost always or sometimes¹. An SME with products and services aimed directly at the consumer can, through the 2030 agenda, increase trust in their brand and increase sales.

Innovation in products and services

The 2030 agenda offers your company a chance to increase its customer base, promoting innovation in your products and services to make them environmentally and socially responsible and with the creation of new services aimed at new segments, such as the younger generations, for whom sustainability is linked to a brand’s reputation. 70% of young people under 35 years of age boycott non-responsible companies² and 30% are consumers of organic products³.

Contracts with the public sector

Access to a greater number of grants or contracts with public administrations is another of the benefits that SMEs can find in the 2030 agenda. Law 9/2017, of 8 November, on public sector contracts includes environmental and social aspects as criteria for awarding public administration contracts to companies. These aspects include: measures to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions, energy-saving and efficiency measures, the implementation of a gender equality plan and the application of ethical and social responsibility criteria to the contractual provision.

Get ahead of regulations

In the coming years, there will be an increase in strategies and regulations on sustainability, which will translate into markets that increasingly consider companies’ environmental and social actions. In this sense, the future sustainable development strategy, the law on climate change and energy transition, the national business and human rights plan and the European Union’s new action plan on sustainable financing are just some examples of new policies that will mark the way forward.

The 2030 agenda is the only possible long-term growth model

Finally, we must not forget that the 2030 agenda aims to create a planet that is sustainable in the long term for future generations and, therefore, guarantees care for the environment, the economy and people. If we do not act urgently, problems such as climate change, respect for human rights and the depletion of natural resources may seriously deteriorate economic growth and, therefore, negatively impact the proper functioning of markets and companies. Without a sustainable planet, there will be no progress. Without progress there cannot be stable markets in which SMEs can safely operate.

There are many current trends related to the 2030 agenda in which your SME can invest and that may also represent important business opportunities. Some of the most relevant are: