The winners and runners-up of the 2022 edition of the Small Business Champions Competition were announced at a virtual event co-organised by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
Benin’s Association Professionnelle Accompagnements Valeurs Expertises Conseils and the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture are the two winners of the competition whose work aim to help small businesses reduce their carbon footprint and benefit from innovations that advance sustainability.
The two runners-up are the Sidley Austin Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program and the United Kingdom’s Inclusive Trade Ltd.
Announced at a virtual event on 26 September, the awards were presented by ICC Representative Director Crispin Conroy, Jose-Luis Cancela, Ambassador and Coordinator of the Informal Working Group on MSMEs, and ITC Deputy Executive Director Dorothy Tembo.
Speaking at the event, Mr Conroy said: “This year the initiative focused on climate and environmental action, an area where MSMEs’ active engagement and contribution is key if we are to achieve ambitious environmental targets. The stakes are high, as are expectations, but the Small Business Champions Initiative has highlighted once again that with sustained public-private collaboration and innovative solutions, we can empower MSMEs to take ambitious environmental and climate action.”
The 2022 edition of the competition focused on the transition of small businesses to a sustainable economy – to help them grow, trade and become resilient. The innovative projects brought forth by the winners will not only raise awareness of the difficulties small businesses are facing when trading in the context of climate change but will also promote best practices in transitioning to sustainable and green trade.
