Locations
8 April 2025: The Panel Dialogue on "Building Supply Chain Resilience: Insights into Greening Value Chains for ASEAN" held today brings together stakeholders to share insights and best practices on greening value chains, with the aim of strengthening the broader ecosystem for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as value chain decarbonisation and industry development across ASEAN.
Presentation slides from the event can be found here.
SMEs as drivers of sustainable growth
SMEs constitute more than 99% of enterprises and drive employment, local innovation, and regional supply chains across ASEAN. As ASEAN Member States advance toward their net-zero targets, there is broad consensus that decarbonising SMEs is essential to sustaining regional competitiveness and meeting global climate commitments. However, many SMEs face cost pressures, differing guidance, and limited incentives, all of which could hinder meaningful climate action.
Across ASEAN, various mechanisms are being deployed to promote supply chain decarbonisation. These approaches differ based on jurisdictional challenges, market maturity, and institutional capacity, shaping how each country activates them. Accordingly, decarbonization is no longer just a sustainability goal—it is also becoming a profitable and value-creating strategy that ensures SMEs remain resilient and competitive in a low-carbon future. This shift strengthens local livelihoods, protects the region’s economic position, and helps fulfill broader climate pledges, driving a more sustainable and inclusive prosperity for ASEAN.
As part of Malaysia’s commitment to this agenda, the Greening Value Chain (GVC) Programme was launched as a pilot initiative at COP27 in 2022 by the Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3) and strategic partners. The programme supports Malaysian SMEs in greening their operations through long-term, impactful changes. It employs a blended approach, combining technical training, access to measurement and reporting tools, as well as transition financing via Bank Negara Malaysia’s Low Carbon Transition Facility.
The Greening Value Chain (GVC) Playbook
The Greening Value Chain (GVC) Playbook, developed in collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia, the Asian Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme, with inputs from a broad range of stakeholders, will be officially launched and made available on 10 April 2025. The Playbook will be launched on all partners' websites and official social media platforms.
