SkyCell, a Swiss SME and part of the pharmaceutical value chain, reflects upon the importance of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the context of business sustainability
Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) are the beating heart of the world’s economy: making up 90% of all businesses and accounting for around 70% of total employment and 50% of GDP globally. As such, these businesses have an essential role to play in realising the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At SkyCell, we are a Swiss SME and part of the pharmaceutical value chain, enabling the transport of temperature-sensitive medication around the world. With global operations, partners and clients, establishing consistent principles to underpin our work is key. The Ten Principles of the Global Compact, including human rights protection, anti-corruption policies and environmental protection were already built into our values system. The Network promotes responsible business practices - something which has been a cornerstone of the SkyCell story from day one - and we are fundamentally aligned with its goals. We’re incredibly proud to be a member and supporting its work to enable truly sustainable growth.
Joining the network made perfect sense for SkyCell. First and foremost, it allows us to engage with our peers and learn from others: as an SME, the network provides a crucial learning platform, giving us access to expertise which would otherwise be out of reach for SMEs.
At SkyCell, we are deeply committed to creating a more sustainable future. As part of the Paris Climate Accords, we have agreed to climate change mitigation targets in line with the 1.5°C scenarios. Our business practices are based on circular economy principles: we manage the full life cycles of our pharmaceutical containers ensuring minimum waste and maximum reusability. We’ve eliminated redundant logistics procedures and through our precision engineered products have reduced CO2 emissions by up to 50%, compared to other solutions. To live up to the commitments we have made by joining the UN Global Compact, we have launched several initiatives, including a whistleblower policy which allows for the anonymous reporting of any misconduct. In addition, we have rolled out a supplier Code of Conduct, to ensure our suppliers comply with the values we hold.
Sustainability isn’t just good for morals, it’s good for business. Actions taken by SMEs in this regard are critical: our collective action can have a major impact and we actively support our peers in engaging with the UN Global Compact, to ensure The Ten Principles become increasingly commonplace across the business community. By embedding sustainable practices into every facet of SkyCell, we’ve created efficiencies that significantly reduce costs for partners, as well as allowing us to reach new customers and create a competitive advantage. This is well aligned with the Global Compact Network’s aims to not only create a fairer, more sustainable world, but also to build stronger, more capable businesses. As we celebrate MSME Day today, we will continue to support the efforts of the Global Compact Network, in its mission to support small companies to make a big difference in creating social and environmental justice globally.