Event Recap | Be Sustainable in China: Opportunities for SMEs

On October 28th, the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) held the webinar "Sustainable Consumption in China: Opportunities for SMEs."

The webinar was opened by Giada Piccinini, CICC Board Member in Shanghai, who briefly introduced the Report "Sustainable Consumption in China: State of the Art of Sustainable Products and Potential Benefits of Entering the Chinese Market." This Report was carried out by the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Responsabilitas Limited (Shanghai) and it will be available for consultation in our official channels soon.

The event was the occasion to analyze the Report's key findings with Alessia Lai, General Manager at Responsabilitas. Each topic was also argued from the business side with the co-owner of the eco-friendly company Nudeskincare, Farah Lopez Del Aguila.

Our guest speakers addressed questions on what it means today to be sustainable in China, who are the consumers, what are the channels of distribution of sustainable products, and finally, what the opportunities for companies are.

KEY ASPECTS

Chinese consumers: young consumers (as young mothers, millennials, and Gen Z) are more environmentally conscious and started looking into buying sustainable products for two main reasons: protecting the environment and improving the quality of life.

Communication strategies and channels of distribution: communication on sustainable goods is still linked to traditional channels, and state media plays a dominant role. Still, new e-commerce platforms can help small companies to grow their business.

WeChat mini-programs, Taobao, and t-mall are critical tools when selling sustainable goods in China. 

Opportunities for companies when entering the market: there are still many barriers, such as lack of information and transparency, but also many opportunities for companies; the idea of sustainability is growing fast among consumers, and media plays a huge role in communication and marketing. According to the Report, the biggest beneficiaries will be products such as alternative materials to plastics and easily recyclable (especially for packaging), electric vehicles and high-efficiency household appliances, and systems for installing and operating photovoltaic panels at home.

From the business side: it is difficult for small companies to approach the market but not impossible. You can still produce high-quality products with good ingredients and eco-friendly packaging and make your chain as sustainable as possible. 

"In the Chinese market, there is room for disseminating sustainable products and developing sustainability communication strategies. Educate yourself, be curios: Sustainability is questioning oneself." - Alessia Lai, General Manager at Responsabilitas Limited (Shanghai)

"Just because you're small doesn't mean you can't create a big impact - A beautiful environment starts with you!" - Farah Lopez, Co-Founder Nudeskincare (Hong Kong, China)