ESG 도입 활성화 방안 : 경기도 중소기업을 중심으로

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face challenges in adopting ESG due to their relative lack of organization, information, staff and budget compared to larger companies. Most SMEs have tight employee payroll cycles and struggle to break even. Advising them to adopt ESG may be unrealistic at this point. But they can't afford to ignore ESG any longer. If they do, their competitiveness may worsen. This is because ESG is the key to enhancing competitiveness by favoring product sales and supply, attracting investment, and improving corporate image. The issue is that policy support from the public sector is crucial for SMEs to adopt ESG. Of course, the active willingness of SME CEOs to adopt ESG and the strengthening of their own capabilities are more important than support. Policy support should be actively provided to activate the adoption of ESG by SMEs in Gyeonggi-Do. To this end, as a short-term priority, Gyeonggi-Do should prioritize the expansion of ESG education and consulting for SMEs, promote customized ESG awareness measures differentiated by type of SME, provide customized support for the E (environment) sector differentiated by company characteristics, prepare and promote the use of ESG evaluation management indicators for SMEs, prepare ESG management guidelines for SMEs, and establish and operate the SME ESG Public-Private Council. In the mid-to long-term, it is necessary to focus support on the priority policy needs of SMEs, strengthen the certification and promotion of ESG-excellent SMEs, and strengthen companies' own response strategies in the E sector, such as switching to eco-friendly processes.