Engaging Over 200 Costa Rican SMEs to Drive Sustainable Transformation

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) make up over one third of Costa Rica’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Even with their strong role in the economy, many still struggle to move their sustainability efforts forward. That was precisely the question we had in mind when launching the Green Codes project in 2024: How can small businesses advance their green transition in ways that are practical and accessible? And what solutions can we develop together that don’t just look good on paper, but actually work in practice?

Over the past two years, the Green Codes project has supported Costa Rican SMEs in structuring and strengthening their sustainability practices through a system of voluntary sustainability agreements.

By working closely together with our partner, the Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica, our work was focused in supporting SMEs integrate sustainability into their business models so that they can grow and become more resilient.

Rather than imposing external standards, the programme followed a participatory co-creation process with companies from agriculture, industry, manufacture, innovation, and services. Through five cycles of virtual sessions, companies explored topics such as programme ambitions, governance and resources, implementation strategies, and monitoring and evaluation.

A key objective of the project was to show that, unlike formal certifications, voluntary agreements give SMEs a flexible, step-by-step approach to improving sustainability in their operations. This often included helping them structure and document practices they were already using but hadn’t yet formalised.

Together with the participating SMEs, the project developed a framework structured around four sustainability categories: labour and social wellbeing, circular economy, environment and climate change, and governance.

Across these categories, 24 sustainability commitments were defined. Companies joining the programme were required to implement at least eight commitments, including two related to labour and social wellbeing, three to environment and climate change, two to circular economy, and one to governance.

In total, the programme engaged 202 SMEs, delivered 18 workshops, and organised two business matchmaking events. The project also demonstrated strong inclusivity: 78% of the SMEs were led by women, around 70% were micro-enterprises and another 20% were small businesses.

The project concluded officially in early March 2026 in San José, Costa Rica. From the voluntary agreement, the SMEs had to pick a minimum of 8 commitments in order to get the green codes accreditation.

After two years of collaboration, around 100 SMEs successfully obtained the Green Codes accreditation, demonstrating the implementation of at least eight sustainability commitments within their businesses.

For many participants, the programme provided a practical roadmap:

“A very useful tool that serves as a guide for the actions companies can implement to transition towards more sustainable, circular and resource-efficient business models.”, said one participant at the final Green Codes ceremony.

“We deeply value the collaborative process of building a list of good practices adapted to the Costa Rican business context.”, added another.

The Green Codes project was developed under the AL-INVEST Verde programme, funded by the European Commission as part of the Global Gateway. The project was implemented by the CSCP together with the Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica.

For further questions, please contact Adriana Ballón Ossio.