Stage 2 Identifying and implementing quick wins Once companies have completed a high-level review of the business areas that present the greatest opportunities for efficiency gains, specific initiatives and projects need to be prioritized. One method of prioritization, identified through consultations and review of implementation frameworks, is to evaluate potential projects in terms of two primary metrics: return on investment (ROI) and complexity to address. While the ROI aims to accurately assess the economic value a project can bring through channels such as cost savings or additional revenue realized, the complexity to address metric requires assessing the difficulty in planning and implementing the project. To ensure consistency and credibility in the assessment, organizations should engage process experts – both internal stakeholders with operational knowledge and external specialists where required. Adopting a clearly defined evaluation framework at the outset, including standardized scoring criteria and complexity indicators, is essential. When all identified projects have been evaluated using these two metrics, those with high ROI and low complexity can be prioritized to start with as they can help to establish early wins and the principal learnings in a sustainability programme, which can also serve as pilots to be scaled in multiple facilities or process stages. Stage 3 Measurement, reporting and improvement Once the project(s) to start with has/have been identified, the next stage involves execution, management and reporting. At this stage, standard project management best practices apply, including but not limited to alignment and communication with senior leadership, measurement of progress against predefined project milestones and documentation of the main successes and challenges encountered for future reference. Before execution, a post-implementation measurement process with clear key performance indicators (KPIs) should be planned to align with sustainability goals. For example, if the project involves installing variable speed drives (VSDs) on pumping motors to save energy, energy savings from VSDs can be tracked and translated into cost savings and Scope 2 emissions avoided. Results can be recorded digitally and visualized using a dashboard for regular updates. As part of the measurement process, improving access to accurate, real-time sustainability data is critical for businesses to set meaningful targets, track progress and respond to growing regulatory and customer expectations. However, many SMEs and mid-sized manufacturers still face challenges in systematically gathering and using data related to their environmental impact. While some of them have begun monitoring key areas such as energy consumption, water use and raw material inputs at the process or site level (Figure 4), comprehensive data collection – especially regarding carbon footprint throughout the supply chain – remains limited. Sustainability Meets Growth: A Roadmap for SMEs and Mid-Sized Manufacturers 14

Sustainability Meets Growth 2025