VARAM Forum: Support for SMEs

The Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (VARAM) organized a support forum for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on Corporate sustainability requirements and experience stories on 5 December 2024.

The event, titled “Support forum for SMEs: Corporate sustainability requirements and experience stories towards sustainability reporting,” invited representatives of SMEs to discuss various topics related to sustainability reporting.

The forum covered the following topics:

• Corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD) and its application to SMEs, presented by Agnese Alksne-Bensone, Chairman of the CSR Latvia.
• Double materiality assessment (DMA) and its relevance for SMEs, explained by Maija Āboliņa-Tomsone, founder of Ziemeļmeita Consulting.
• ESG Tool, introduced by Vita Vitola-Lapiņa, project expert of the Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association (LIKTA), showcasing how the tool can assist SMEs in taking initial steps toward sustainability reporting.

Additionally, three companies shared their experiences, discussing how the sustainability journey has influenced their operations, the resources required, the meaning of sustainability for their business, challenges faced, and best practices.

The discussion was moderated by Agnese Alksne-Bensone, Chairman of the CSR Latvia, with participants including:

• Anete Smoča, Sustainability Manager at Eco Baltia vide.
• Gita Tillere, Sustainability and Quality Manager at the Latvia State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC).
• Kristīne Grapmane, Executive Director of STENDERS.