Advancing the sustainability agenda in small businesses

Vera Palea; Lino Cinquini; Mascia Bedendo; Lorenzo Dal Maso; Gloria Fiorani; Giulio Caldarelli; Silvia Gordano; Giorgio Battaglia; Andrea Caccialanza; Riccardo Camilli; Chiara Di Gerio; Emanuele Doronzo; Cristina Gianfelici; Michele Lemme; Lucrezia Macigno; Aline Miazza; Sarfraz Nazir; Annalisa Pancani; Giacomo Pigatto; Marco Pini; Francesco Scarpa; Gian Luca Tassinari

doi:10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3_1

Advancing the sustainability agenda in small businesses

Vera Palea
, Lino Cinquini
, Mascia Bedendo
, Lorenzo Dal Maso
, Gloria Fiorani
, Giulio Caldarelli
, Silvia Gordano
, Giorgio Battaglia
, Andrea Caccialanza
, Riccardo Camilli
, Chiara Di Gerio
, Emanuele Doronzo
, Cristina Gianfelici
, Michele Lemme
, Lucrezia Macigno
, Aline Miazza
, Sarfraz Nazir
, Annalisa Pancani
, Giacomo Pigatto
, Marco Pini

Francesco Scarpa, Gian Luca Tassinari

School of Accounting, Economics and Finance

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Abstract

This introductory chapter examines the growing relevance of sustainability for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the need to integrate environmental, social, and economic dimensions into business activities. It introduces key conceptual frameworks, outlines a taxonomy of climate-related risks, and discusses their implications for SMEs, highlighting both structural constraints and emerging opportunities associated with green finance, supply chains, and regulation.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Climate Strategies and Sustainability Pathways of Italian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Pages	1-19
Number of pages	19
ISBN (Electronic)	9783032174543
ISBN (Print)	9783032174536, 9783032174567
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3_1
Publication status	Published - 28 Apr 2026

Publication series

Name	Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
ISSN (Print)	2523-8124
ISSN (Electronic)	2523-8132

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

SMEs
corporate sustainability
ESG
climate risk
triple bottom line
green transition

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3_1

Cite this

Palea, V., Cinquini, L., Bedendo, M., Maso, L. D., Fiorani, G., Caldarelli, G., Gordano, S., Battaglia, G., Caccialanza, A., Camilli, R., Gerio, C. D., Doronzo, E., Gianfelici, C., Lemme, M., Macigno, L., Miazza, A., Nazir, S., Pancani, A., Pigatto, G., ... Tassinari, G. L. (2026). Advancing the sustainability agenda in small businesses. In Climate Strategies and Sustainability Pathways of Italian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (pp. 1-19). (Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3_1

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title = "Advancing the sustainability agenda in small businesses",

abstract = "This introductory chapter examines the growing relevance of sustainability for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the need to integrate environmental, social, and economic dimensions into business activities. It introduces key conceptual frameworks, outlines a taxonomy of climate-related risks, and discusses their implications for SMEs, highlighting both structural constraints and emerging opportunities associated with green finance, supply chains, and regulation.",

keywords = "SMEs, corporate sustainability, ESG, climate risk, triple bottom line, green transition",

author = "Vera Palea and Lino Cinquini and Mascia Bedendo and Maso, \{Lorenzo Dal\} and Gloria Fiorani and Giulio Caldarelli and Silvia Gordano and Giorgio Battaglia and Andrea Caccialanza and Riccardo Camilli and Gerio, \{Chiara Di\} and Emanuele Doronzo and Cristina Gianfelici and Michele Lemme and Lucrezia Macigno and Aline Miazza and Sarfraz Nazir and Annalisa Pancani and Giacomo Pigatto and Marco Pini and Francesco Scarpa and Tassinari, \{Gian Luca\}",

year = "2026",

month = apr,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3\_1",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783032174536",

series = "Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies",

publisher = "Palgrave Macmillan",

pages = "1--19",

booktitle = "Climate Strategies and Sustainability Pathways of Italian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises",

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Palea, V, Cinquini, L, Bedendo, M, Maso, LD, Fiorani, G, Caldarelli, G, Gordano, S, Battaglia, G, Caccialanza, A, Camilli, R, Gerio, CD, Doronzo, E, Gianfelici, C, Lemme, M, Macigno, L, Miazza, A, Nazir, S, Pancani, A, Pigatto, G, Pini, M, Scarpa, F & Tassinari, GL 2026, Advancing the sustainability agenda in small businesses. in Climate Strategies and Sustainability Pathways of Italian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3_1

Advancing the sustainability agenda in small businesses. / Palea, Vera; Cinquini, Lino; Bedendo, Mascia et al.
Climate Strategies and Sustainability Pathways of Italian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Palgrave Macmillan, 2026. p. 1-19 (Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - Advancing the sustainability agenda in small businesses

AU - Palea, Vera

AU - Cinquini, Lino

AU - Bedendo, Mascia

AU - Maso, Lorenzo Dal

AU - Fiorani, Gloria

AU - Caldarelli, Giulio

AU - Gordano, Silvia

AU - Battaglia, Giorgio

AU - Caccialanza, Andrea

AU - Camilli, Riccardo

AU - Gerio, Chiara Di

AU - Doronzo, Emanuele

AU - Gianfelici, Cristina

AU - Lemme, Michele

AU - Macigno, Lucrezia

AU - Miazza, Aline

AU - Nazir, Sarfraz

AU - Pancani, Annalisa

AU - Pigatto, Giacomo

AU - Pini, Marco

AU - Scarpa, Francesco

AU - Tassinari, Gian Luca

PY - 2026/4/28

Y1 - 2026/4/28

N2 - This introductory chapter examines the growing relevance of sustainability for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the need to integrate environmental, social, and economic dimensions into business activities. It introduces key conceptual frameworks, outlines a taxonomy of climate-related risks, and discusses their implications for SMEs, highlighting both structural constraints and emerging opportunities associated with green finance, supply chains, and regulation.

AB - This introductory chapter examines the growing relevance of sustainability for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the need to integrate environmental, social, and economic dimensions into business activities. It introduces key conceptual frameworks, outlines a taxonomy of climate-related risks, and discusses their implications for SMEs, highlighting both structural constraints and emerging opportunities associated with green finance, supply chains, and regulation.

KW - SMEs

KW - corporate sustainability

KW - ESG

KW - climate risk

KW - triple bottom line

KW - green transition

UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3_1

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3_1

DO - 10.1007/978-3-032-17454-3_1

M3 - Chapter (peer-reviewed)

SN - 9783032174536

SN - 9783032174567

T3 - Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies

SP - 1

EP - 19

BT - Climate Strategies and Sustainability Pathways of Italian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

PB - Palgrave Macmillan

ER -

Advancing the sustainability agenda in small businesses

Abstract

Publication series

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this