Activating green trade, advancing environmental goals

Why doing good is also good for business

Trade is traditionally seen as a contributor to climate change – for example, through transport emissions and increased economic activities. But trade, when done sustainably and backed by the right policies, is actually a powerful tool to meet both environmental and economic goals.

GreenToCompete activates green trade

ITC launched its GreenToCompete initiative in 2020 – reinforcing its commitment to trade that is climate resilient, fosters a new bio-economy and promotes production cycles that are truly circular.

As environmental challenges will increasingly impact small businesses, collaboration and joint action are key.

GreenToCompete “activates” different types of stakeholders: We build the capacity of people working in small businesses, support institutions and those of young ecopreneurs. We work with enablers, such as service and technology providers, or with finance and market partners who either provide supporting services to small businesses or offer access to growing sustainable markets. And we work with policymakers to create enabling business ecosystems in which companies can go green.

From ‘green to survive’ to ‘green to thrive’

There are many good examples of small businesses that turned environmental sustainability into their competitive advantage. For example, through ITC’s GreenToCompete Hub in Kenya, we worked with companies like Miyonga, who managed to access green finance to realize their business plan.

Their secret? Innovation! Miyonga presented a strong business case for a solar-powered mobile factory that reduces post-harvest losses and energy consumption, which helped them secure funds from an international financier. So green business does indeed open new finance streams.

Ecopreneur Sofia Rubio, on the other hand, turned nature conservation into the profitable business Shiwi, marketing sustainable products from natural protected areas in Peru.

Moving forward: Greening business

To ensure long-term collaboration with companies and other stakeholders, GreenToCompete established local hubs in several countries, including the Caribbean, Ghana, Kenya, Lao PDR, Nepal, Peru and Viet Nam. These Hubs are collaborating and sharing experiences through a global network, to further grow in the coming years.

GreenToCompete is also working with international buyers and suppliers in their international value chains. The initiative is currently developing an online platform to enable even more learning and exchange opportunities.