BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The International Trade Centre (ITC), in collaboration with the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), has announced the launch of the Caribbean Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) Hub, the latest in its network to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) develop green and viable business models.
The Caribbean hub will be hosted by Caribbean Export, the regional trade and investment promotion agency mandated to enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs in CARIFORUM countries.
Further, he said, “for MSMEs to enhance their competitiveness requires a concerted effort to protect against the vulnerability to disaster events; improved efficiency of the limited resources available; and the identification of ways to rapidly expand production capacity. Moreover, our MSMEs must be positioned to maximize the use of existing market access arrangements, by overcoming technical trade barriers.”
Over the next two years, the Caribbean T4SD Hub will address topics such as climate resilience, resource efficiency, circularity, sustainability standards, green finance access, and international value chains. These are key challenges for Caribbean MSMEs to become and remain competitive.
The hub will deploy a unique programme comprising blended learning activities, including e-learning, webinars and customized face-to-face coaching sessions. The learning activities will incorporate ITC’s existing tools and services and guide MSMEs on ways to integrate sustainable practices into their core business models.
Caribbean Export was selected to host the Caribbean T4SD Hub following a competitive process. The institution will work closely with ITC staff and sustainability experts to implement various workstreams of the technical assistance.
MSMEs that will be part of the hub’s coaching programme in the first two years of hub operations will be part of the programme’s pilot phase, which ITC will primarily lead.
Caribbean Export said that following this, it foresees it will have the necessary capacities to continue the hub’s programme and mentor Caribbean MSMEs in establishing sustainability-driven export businesses.
Further, he said, “for MSMEs to enhance their competitiveness requires a concerted effort to protect against the vulnerability to disaster events; improved efficiency of the limited resources available; and the identification of ways to rapidly expand production capacity. Moreover, our MSMEs must be positioned to maximize the use of existing market access arrangements, by overcoming technical trade barriers.”
Over the next two years, the Caribbean T4SD Hub will address topics such as climate resilience, resource efficiency, circularity, sustainability standards, green finance access, and international value chains. These are key challenges for Caribbean MSMEs to become and remain competitive.
The hub will deploy a unique programme comprising blended learning activities, including e-learning, webinars and customized face-to-face coaching sessions. The learning activities will incorporate ITC’s existing tools and services and guide MSMEs on ways to integrate sustainable practices into their core business models.
Caribbean Export was selected to host the Caribbean T4SD Hub following a competitive process. The institution will work closely with ITC staff and sustainability experts to implement various workstreams of the technical assistance.
MSMEs that will be part of the hub’s coaching programme in the first two years of hub operations will be part of the programme’s pilot phase, which ITC will primarily lead.
Caribbean Export said that following this, it foresees it will have the necessary capacities to continue the hub’s programme and mentor Caribbean MSMEs in establishing sustainability-driven export businesses.
