Top hurdles identified by surveyed SMEs and mid-sized manufacturers in setting up and advancing sustainability goalsFIGURE 2 Figure 2 highlights the main challenges faced by SMEs and mid-sized companies in setting and/ or advancing their sustainability goals. Competing priorities – such as cost-cutting or business expansion – were cited by 53% of respondents as the most significant obstacles, keeping in mind that the current geopolitical tensions might further increase the complexity of decision-making processes and shift business priorities. The result suggests that sustainability is often seen as a task to be traded off against other priorities. However, it is important to stress that sustainability enables key business objectives rather than competes with them. A well-integrated sustainability approach can reduce operational costs and generate revenue, which can be reinvested to support other business goals. Additional challenges include policy uncertainty (47%) and financial constraints (42%). It is noteworthy that financial constraints did not emerge as the only barrier when it comes to hurdles to advancing sustainability goals. Education and awareness about how sustainability can drive core business value – along with consistent and transparent policy and regulatory frameworks – are also critical pillars for accelerating sustainability progress. Sour ce: Survey conducted by the SME Sustainability Accelerator of the W orld Economic Forum0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%Organizational and individual resistance to changeLack of incentiveLack of awareness of technologiesNot knowing where to startFinancial hurdlesStruggling with policy uncertaintyFacing competing priorities Sustainability Meets Growth: A Roadmap for SMEs and Mid-Sized Manufacturers 10

Sustainability Meets Growth 2025