The Miqyes Forum, organized by CONECT in partnership with UNDP, was held in Tunis on Tuesday, June 10, marking the conclusion of the 7th national barometer on the health of Tunisian SMEs.
The event brought together economic stakeholders, public policymakers, and civil society representatives to discuss challenges and opportunities in the ecological and social transformation of small and medium enterprises.
Environment: Around three-quarters of companies allocate less than 5% of their budget to environmental initiatives
Around three-quarters of companies allocate less than 5% of their budget to environmental initiatives, according to a survey conducted as part of the “7th Edition of the MIQYES 2024 Barometer of SME Health in Tunisia: Focus on Sustainable Development.”
Miqyes is a national survey based on statements from Tunisian companies, with a particular focus on their environmental commitment and transition to sustainable practices.
The survey was conducted from January 15 to April 20, 2025 by the Confederation of Tunisian Citizen Enterprises (CONECT), in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
It targeted 233 Tunisian companies that are committed to environmental and social issues.
50.6% of those surveyed operate in industry
Of these, 50.6% operate in industry, 34.8% in the service sector, and 14.6% in other sectors (commerce and agriculture). According to the initiators of the barometer, the average age of the companies surveyed is 21, while the median age is slightly less than 14.
The survey revealed that 63% of companies do not use a recognized measurement framework to assess their social or environmental impact.
According to economist Abdelkader Boudriga, who presented the survey, only 14% of companies use a recognized framework to assess their environmental or social performance.
Companies that are less than 10 years old, as well as those that are more than 20 years old, use a recognized measurement framework to assess their social and environmental impact.
However, 42.9% of companies do not communicate these performances at all, which hinders transparency, continuous improvement, and external recognition of their efforts, he said.
When it comes to financing environmental and social initiatives, more than half of respondents (52.36%) used their own funds.
Other sources of funding included donations (12.45%), government aid and subsidies (11.59%), bank loans (6.01%), and private equity (4.72%).
Miqyes pointed out that some environmental or social practices are more widespread than others.
The most common actions relate to waste management (sorting and recycling) and raising employee awareness. 20% of companies report having carried out a carbon assessment.
Regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 115 companies reported that their direct emissions were linked to industrial processes; 80 companies generated emissions from transport (vehicles and aircraft); 54 companies generated emissions linked to electricity (indirect emissions); 42 companies generated emissions linked to heat production; and 25 companies generated emissions linked to waste.
Some companies measure their carbon footprint
However, few companies measure their carbon footprint, implement eco-design initiatives or use renewable energy (only 7.6% use it significantly). Twenty percent of companies report having carried out a carbon assessment, mainly in industries that have been established for over 20 years in certain regions, particularly Greater Tunis. Meanwhile, 30% do not use any indicators.
This illustrates a commitment that is still sector-based and is often linked to regulatory obligations, it concluded.
Carbon footprint reduction initiatives mainly concern the industrial sector, achieving a score of 0.55. These initiatives primarily affect the North and Central-West and North-East regions, with a score of 0.7.
Levels of commitment to decarbonization increase with customer expectations: commitment is low when no expectations are expressed (score of -0.04), and commitment reaches a maximum of 0.89 when four expectations are expressed.
The “Miqyes” 2025 Forum forms part of a dynamic approach to supporting SMEs in the face of profound economic, social and environmental changes.
The forum presented the results of a unique survey of 200 sustainable development-committed companies and provided a detailed overview of their practices, obstacles, and levers to accelerate the transition.
The aim of this forum is to stimulate debate on the role that Tunisian SMEs can play in building a green, inclusive and resilient economy.
