Sustainability Certifications in SMEs: Key Themes and Research Gaps

This study investigates the role of sustainability certifications in promoting sustainable practices among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It highlights the increasing relevance of sustainability within the SME sector, driven by regulatory frameworks such as the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) in Italy, which incentivizes sustainable practices through funding and procurement advantages. The research adopts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology to map existing academic contributions on SME sustainability, focusing on four primary themes: sustainable innovations, corporate social responsibility (CSR), non-financial reporting, and certifications. Analyzing 487 studies from the SCOPUS database, the study finds that while sustainable innovation and CSR are widely explored topics, certifications remain underrepresented despite their growing practical relevance. Certifications, such as ISO 14001 and SA8000, play a crucial role in demonstrating compliance with environmental, social, and economic standards, fostering stakeholder trust, and enhancing market competitiveness. The findings underscore a significant research gap regarding the impact of certifications on SME performance and their role in supporting sustainable transitions. The study concludes by calling for more comprehensive investigations into certification practices, particularly in emerging areas such as social sustainability and gender equality certifications, to provide a more holistic understanding of their contributions to SME sustainability strategies.