Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Hong Kong’s economy and play a vital role in regional and global supply chains. As sustainability becomes a growing priority across industries, global brands, buyers, and regulators are placing greater scrutiny on the environmental practices of their suppliers — including those in Hong Kong. This shift is creating new expectations for SMEs to demonstrate their commitment to greener operations. For many SMEs, however, the path of “going green” remains uncertain:

• It’s hard to see the business benefits of decarbonising right away
• Technical terminology can be overwhelming without the right knowledge or support
• There’s a lack of clear standards to follow

Despite these barriers, the cost of inaction is rising. Falling behind could mean losing access to key customers, contracts, or export markets. On the flip side, businesses that take early action can strengthen their brand, cut costs over time, and open doors to new opportunities.

So, what does ‘greening your business’ actually involve — and where do you get started?

To support SMEs in navigating this transition, the new Greening Value Chain Playbook was developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). PIE Strategy served as research partner and lead author of the Playbook, which turns high-level sustainability goals into clear, practical steps businesses can act on.

The Playbook offers guidance based on real-world lessons from Malaysia’s Greening Value Chain programme, along with insights from over 50 experts across government, finance, and businesses. While originally developed for ASEAN, the strategies outlined are highly applicable to Hong Kong SMEs — especially those working with overseas buyers, manufacturing partners, or logistics networks in Southeast Asia or global markets.

The Playbook introduces six practical levers — spanning regulation, finance, supply chain anchoring, communications, data infrastructure, and cross sector innovation. These levers are designed to help policymakers, large companies, and banks translate high-level climate goals into concrete support for SMEs.

Wherever you stand in your decarbonisation journey, the Playbook offers accessible tools to strengthen your supply chain, and prepare for a low-carbon transition.

The full Playbook is free to download and packed with practical, actionable steps. Download here.