Net Zero Pledge

Supporting climate smart MSMEs to access international markets

Meet Net Zero MSMEs

About

While often neglected or not part of the discussion, SMEs can play a vital role in improving the environment by improving their resource efficiency.  At the same time, more and more international brands and retailers are also demanding more environmental practices from their suppliers. 

As such, there is a market access or trade related aspect to going green as well. Which also means that going green from an SME perspective can also provide economic benefits to the firm while improving the overall environmental performance of key economic sectors in African economies

Impact

Competitiveness

Over 450'000Euros of business generated, and ensured business continuation of 18 tea gardens during the COVID-19 pandemic
Read Good Trade Story
Adaptation

Digitalization of marketing presence for Nepali tea gardens
Partnerships

Strengthen the competencies of sector organizations such as CTCF and HIMCOOP

Empowering MSMEs

See what they have to say
Rajesh Rauniyar, Aroma Speciality Tea
"With proper channels and digital marketing tools, we think we can take our organic tea to any European or American destination. Collaborating with ITC will hopefully help us understand and market our products better in these markets "
Urusha Chapagain, Gorkha Tea Estate
"Collaborating with ITC in this project has helped us keep our digital presence updated and will definitely help us in telling our story to the wider buyers in Europe and in the US."
Bikram Chemjong, Organic Nepal Tea Industries
"Our expertise is Tea Making and we are proud of what we produce. But, we lack marketing and outreach. We hope collaboration with ITC will help us in this regard in future."
Claire, Quality Director, Lacoste
"Lacoste is leveraging the Sustainability Map platform to build the transparency of its global value chain."

Promoting Carbon Neutral businesses

View their sustainability journey

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tea industry in Nepal faced unprecedented challenges in terms of cash flow, transport and sampling.

ITC ensured their business continuity under its USAID funded programme, by sending their tea samples to potential buyers in Europe, China and the US. Almost a dozen of sample boxes have been sent to international buyers like Schroeder and Hamann, Halson & Leon, Teegeschwender and Basu in China, Czechia, Germany or the United States. This intervention generated over €425,000 of business for the farmers since March of 2020.

Partners

Funding partner

Implementing partners