Slovenia's ESG commitment is rising, with 92% of companies demonstrating strong ESG strategy development (score 2.5-4.5) and 76% focusing on environmental impact. However, gaps exist in governance (24% scoring lowest) and social aspects (32% scoring lowest in employee well-being and DEI). All companies have an ESG strategy, but large companies (84%) report more frequently on ESG than SMEs (40%).
Differences between Large Companies and SMEs:
- ESG Strategy: Both equally prioritize ESG, but large companies report more frequently.
- Environmental: 95% of large companies have emission targets, while 67% of SMEs do; 33% of SMEs lack emission targets.
- Social: 42% of large companies' customers pay a premium for purpose-driven products, vs. 17% of SMEs. SMEs (50%) outperform large companies (11%) in securing better supplier conditions due to stronger social/environmental supplier selection (67% vs. 42%).
- Governance: Large companies (79%) track employee well-being more robustly than SMEs (50%), but both lack DEI programs (53% large, 50% SME). Large companies (11%) lag SMEs (50%) in succession planning motivation.
Manufacturing vs. Services:
- ESG Strategy: Manufacturing (91%) fully develops strategies, while services (86%) prioritize but lag in full development.
- Environmental: All manufacturing companies track and reduce emissions/waste, while 79% of services do.
- Social: 55% of manufacturing companies (vs. 21% services) believe customers view their products as purpose-driven. Manufacturing (82%) leads in employee well-being tracking, while services (64%) lag.
- Governance: Both sectors have strong ethics codes (100% manufacturing, 93% services) and balanced gender leadership (38% manufacturing, 42% services).
Conclusion: Slovenia shows progress in ESG, but SMEs need stronger emission targets, and both sectors must improve social governance (DEI, succession planning). Aligning ESG with business strategy is crucial for the Green Deal agenda.
