Brief studies on access to Green Finance for small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the economic backbone of most Asian countries. Shifting the region's economic development towards more sustainable production processes and consumption patterns is only possible with the active contribution of SMEs. This contribution, however, depends to a great extent on their access to finance for investments in cleaner production technologies. Therefore, facilitating SMEs' access to financial resources and specifically green financing schemes becomes a central challenge.

Against this backdrop, adelphi developed brief studies on the access to finance by SMEs with a focus on green finance options. The countries covered in the studies are Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The project was implemented on behalf of the SWITCH-Asia Network Facility. The SWITCH-Asia programme's overall goal is to promote economic prosperity and help reduce poverty in Asia by encouraging a sustainable growth with low environmental impact from industries and consumers.

The aim of these studies is to provide relevant stakeholders with information on the current situation regarding SMEs’ access to green finance in the five countries. To this end, four relevant issues were examined in the five country reports: (1) sources of green financing in the countries, (2) mainstreaming of green financing into generic SME financing products, (3) national and international financing institutions active in the respective country, and (4) alternative funding models such as green bonds or crowdfunding. Additionally, the studies are complemented by best practice cases and hands-on information regarding application procedures and contact details of relevant financing schemes.