The I-GO initiative is rolling out a second regional pilot in Latin America and the Caribbean following its deployment in Africa. The Brazilian EngS Research Group is coordinating the project to unleash resource efficiency efforts of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Costa Rica.
This global initiative is designed especially for SMEs to simplify access to resource efficiency support services most relevant to their specific activity, location, and business needs.
By targeting four distinct countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the I-GO pilot will be able to test its approach and adapt its tools according to the regional specificities, including its easy-to-use self-assessment tool, of which the SME Support Centre is the underlying foundation.
The success of the I-GO initiative relies on strategic local partnerships for both the effective compilation of the wide range of resource efficiency guidance and support services available at national and regional levels, and to build awareness of the I-GO initiative among SME networks.
Organisations involved in resource efficiency, including international development and government organisations, business associations, NGOs, SME service providers and multinational companies can participate in the I-GO initiative pilot regional deployment in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Apart from directly benefiting SMEs by improving their resource efficiency, I-GO also benefits partnering organisations. It enables them to:
- Promote their resource efficiency support services such as online tools, technical guides, case studies, training solutions, financial incentives to be included in the SME Support Centre database for increased uptake by SMEs.
- Help their network of SMEs improve their resource efficiency by building awareness of the I-GO tools
- Engage with a wide network of other I-GO partners in their country to share resource efficiency experiences and best practices, notably through the Green Forum
The I-GO initiative was developed by the Green Industry Platform, with the support of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), and is being deployed in collaboration with the Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative.
The EngS Research Group is a Brazilian research institution at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar).
For more information, please contact Diogo Aparecido Lopes Silva (project coordinator at EngS-UFSCar) to join the Latin America and the Caribbean network.