Green Pulse Indicator: Tracking MSME Sustainability Through SPeX

Dun & Bradstreet and SIDBI release the SPeX, or 'Green Pulse Indicator', assessing MSME's sustainability perception across willingness, awareness, and implementation. Despite a 5.3% decline in Q4 2024, implementation rises 41%, highlighting progress. Yet challenges like cost and capital remain, as major sustainability regulations evolve globally.

Dun & Bradstreet, in collaboration with SIDBI, unveiled the Sustainability Perception Index (SPeX) — or the 'Green Pulse Indicator' — for the fourth quarter of 2024. This index measures MSMEs' perceptions regarding sustainability, focusing on three key dimensions: willingness, awareness, and implementation.

The latest SPeX report recorded a 5.3% decrease from the previous quarter, although there was a notable 41% rise in the implementation dimension. This development underscores the strides made by MSMEs in embedding sustainable practices within their operations. However, dwindling awareness and willingness amongst MSMEs point to enduring challenges amid evolving global sustainability regulations.

Presentations by economists like Dr. Arun Singh and Dr. R.K. Singh highlighted the complexities faced by MSMEs, especially with implementation costs and capital availability. They emphasized the necessity for comprehensive policy support to foster broader sustainability adoption, even as medium to long-term return challenges persist in prioritizing sustainable investments.

(With inputs from agencies.)