The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies launches European data collection on ESG practices of SMEs: the RESPONSE Project survey begins
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa has officially launched European data collection on ESG practices of small and medium-sized enterprises as part of RESPONSE – Reporting on ESG and Sustainability Performance Oriented to the Needs of Small Enterprises, the Erasmus+ programme-funded project that supports the sustainable transition of the European productive fabric.
The transition to sustainable economic models requires significantly more advanced skills, tools and processes than in the past. For European small and medium-sized enterprises, the introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), including simplified rules for unlisted SMEs (VSMEs), represents a crucial challenge, but also an important opportunity for growth.
This is the context for RESPONSE – Reporting on ESG and Sustainability Performance Oriented to the Needs of Small Enterprises, a European project funded by Erasmus+ that aims to strengthen the capacity of SMEs to measure, manage and communicate their environmental, social and governance performance.
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, through its Institute of Management and the Sustainability Management research group, is a scientific partner in the project, with the task of contributing to the creation of the knowledge base, guiding the analysis of existing practices and developing advanced training tools dedicated to businesses and the staff of European Chambers of Commerce.
In order to accurately understand the real needs of businesses, the project has launched a survey dedicated to European SMEs. The aim is to investigate the level of dissemination of ESG practices, the difficulties encountered in data collection, the skills currently available within companies and expectations regarding future regulatory developments. Initial evidence gathered at European level shows that many operators recognise the strategic importance of sustainability but struggle to initiate structured reporting processes, partly due to a lack of resources, the technical complexity of standards and the absence of simple and immediate tools for use in their daily work. The survey is therefore a fundamental step towards building a support system that truly reflects the reality of SMEs, capable of responding to their operational needs and accompanying them towards more informed and transparent management models.
For these reasons, the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies invites all interested SMEs to participate in the survey, regardless of their sector and level of experience in sustainability. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and offers an important contribution to the definition of future European support tools for businesses.
To participate in the survey:
