---
_id: '67488'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: The European sustainable finance framework targets large corporations but
    also affects small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper examines how
    European SMEs engage with sustainable finance, focusing on financing channels,
    use of green and capital market financing, and integration into sustainability
    reporting, including costs and relevance of data collection.Internal funds, traditional
    bank loans, and public funding programmes are the main instruments for financing
    SME sustainability, while capital market financing and green instruments are largely
    irrelevant. Traditional banking relationships continue as the primary external
    financing source. Many SMEs invest in sustainability without systematically collecting
    or reporting ESG data. Costs for sustainability reporting and ESG data collection
    in micro and small enterprises remain consistent with previous estimates. Despite
    growing “noise” around sustainable finance as a lever for the green transition,
    capital market financing and dedicated green finance instruments remain largely
    irrelevant for SMEs. Sustainability reporting is mainly driven through value chains
    rather than banks, indicating that market demand, not financial instruments, drives
    SME sustainability investment.
author:
- first_name: Felix
  full_name: Rossmann, Felix
  id: '98531'
  last_name: Rossmann
- first_name: Jan
  full_name: Greitens, Jan
  last_name: Greitens
- first_name: Lisa
  full_name: Knoll, Lisa
  id: '88789'
  last_name: Knoll
citation:
  ama: Rossmann F, Greitens J, Knoll L. Small and medium-sized enterprises and sustainable
    finance – European survey results. <i>Sustainable Finance Review</i>. Published
    online 2026:1-16. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019">10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019</a>
  apa: Rossmann, F., Greitens, J., &#38; Knoll, L. (2026). Small and medium-sized
    enterprises and sustainable finance – European survey results. <i>Sustainable
    Finance Review</i>, 1–16. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019">https://doi.org/10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019</a>
  bibtex: '@article{Rossmann_Greitens_Knoll_2026, title={Small and medium-sized enterprises and
    sustainable finance – European survey results}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019">10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019</a>},
    journal={Sustainable Finance Review}, publisher={Emerald}, author={Rossmann, Felix
    and Greitens, Jan and Knoll, Lisa}, year={2026}, pages={1–16} }'
  chicago: Rossmann, Felix, Jan Greitens, and Lisa Knoll. “Small and Medium-Sized
    Enterprises and Sustainable Finance – European Survey Results.” <i>Sustainable
    Finance Review</i>, 2026, 1–16. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019">https://doi.org/10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019</a>.
  ieee: 'F. Rossmann, J. Greitens, and L. Knoll, “Small and medium-sized enterprises and
    sustainable finance – European survey results,” <i>Sustainable Finance Review</i>,
    pp. 1–16, 2026, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019">10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019</a>.'
  mla: Rossmann, Felix, et al. “Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Sustainable
    Finance – European Survey Results.” <i>Sustainable Finance Review</i>, Emerald,
    2026, pp. 1–16, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019">10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019</a>.
  short: F. Rossmann, J. Greitens, L. Knoll, Sustainable Finance Review (2026) 1–16.
date_created: 2026-10-10T09:53:25Z
date_updated: 2026-10-10T10:01:58Z
department:
- _id: '36'
- _id: '121'
doi: 10.1108/sfr-01-2026-0019
language:
- iso: eng
page: 1-16
publication: Sustainable Finance Review
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2977-7542
publication_status: published
publisher: Emerald
status: public
title: Small and medium-sized enterprises and sustainable finance – European survey
  results
type: journal_article
user_id: '88789'
year: '2026'
...