KUCHING: Ant International, in collaboration with its industry partners, is developing an industry-first MSME Sustainability Impact Scorecard (MSME S-Card), a digital solution designed to empower Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Asia.
In a statement, it said that the MSME S-Card is developed to track MSMEs’ environmental and social impact in a verified and convenient way based on applicable standards and requirements, to better integrate sustainability into their business operations.
It explained that the MSME S-Card leverages Ant International’s experience and partnerships in digital innovation and platforms, automating the collection of key data within existing business processes and digital wallets to build and validate MSME ESG credentials.
“By integrating ESG metrics in this streamlined and digital way, the scorecard offers MSMEs actionable insights for aligning with sustainability standards, enhancing their ESG credibility, attracting impact-focused investors, and supporting long-term sustainable growth in line with global market expectations,” it said.
Commenting on this, Ant International chief sustainability Leiming Chen pointed out that one of the key priorities when it launched Programme Sirius earlier this year was to address the critical challenge of sustainability inclusion for MSMEs, that are being left behind in the global shift towards sustainability, missing out on new opportunities.
“We hope that the MSME S-Card, the first initiative under Programme Sirius, will offer a benchmark for MSMEs and financial institutions to work together to support MSMEs’ sustainability journey, enabling them to contribute to a shared vision for a better future while gaining practical benefits from sustainable payments, ESG reporting, and green financing,” he said.
For the record, in March 2024, Ant International unveiled Programme Sirius (Sustainability Innovation for Regenerative & Inclusive Purpose), an industry-led knowledge initiative to empower MSMEs in their transition towards sustainability, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
