Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia may now tap OCBC PULSE, a free environmental, social and governance (ESG) tool by OCBC to assess sustainability readiness.
Individual SMEs may independently access the online tool while large firms, including listed companies, can request for their SME suppliers to be onboarded to the platform.
Besides assessment, the tool offers practical recommendations to the SMEs to help them identify gaps and improve in key sustainability areas as well as tap on OCBC’s financing solutions. For large companies, OCBC PULSE will help them to understand and work with their SME suppliers to strengthen sustainability practices in areas such as decarbonisation.
With large companies elevating their sustainability ambitions, SMEs along the former’s supply chains are expected to enhance their sustainability credentials to remain competitive, according to OCBC. SMEs can repeat the assessment over time to track their sustainability progress.
OCBC will pilot the tool with its own suppliers through its procurement operations, in line with its commitment to support the green transition of SMEs. The bank collaborated with UN Global Compact Network Singapore to develop the tool, which was built with reference to the recently launched Technical Reference 149.
The roll-out of OCBC PULSE will support the bank’s ambition, announced in April 2026, to support 12,000 SMEs across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia with sustainable financing by 2028.
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OCBC head of global commercial banking Elaine Heng says that OCBC PULSE is a “meaningful” step forward in making sustainability more accessible for SMEs. “Available at no cost and being easy to use, it lowers the cost and complexity for SMEs to start taking action to track and improve their ESG performance, and enhances their access to financing with us,” she says.
Heng adds that the tool can help SMEs seize sustainable growth opportunities and remain competitive by meeting evolving ESG requirements while facilitating sustainability improvements for the supply chains of large companies.
“This reflects our broader commitment to go beyond financing by providing SMEs practical tools, insights and advisory support to make sustainability more actionable.”
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Joining OCBC PULSE
OCBC PULSE is available to individual SMEs. Separately, for large companies requesting to onboard their suppliers onto OCBC PULSE, a personalised landing page will be set up for them, which can be shared with their SME suppliers to invite them to complete the assessment.
The assessment requires SME suppliers to complete questions across ESG areas and where needed, to submit relevant document validation to substantiate their responses. After completion of the assessment, the SMEs will receive a report, which indicate their ESG readiness and offer insights into areas for improvement.
For large companies, they can view a dashboard on their personalised landing page, which provides a detailed analysis of ESG maturity levels and gaps across their suppliers. The dashboard is updated automatically as more suppliers complete the assessment, giving an up-to-date view of participating suppliers at any time.
OCBC says curated workshops will be organised for the large companies and participating SME suppliers, to address areas of improvement and impart ESG knowledge and industry best practices. Depending on the gaps identified, ecosystem partners and relevant subject matter experts will also be brought in to share practical solutions, new technologies and available support schemes.
OCBC PULSE is the second zero-cost platform to help SMEs become more sustainable to be launched in as many months. Earlier in May, Singapore’s ambassador for climate action Ravi Menon announced the launch of Green 100, a national level platform which offers free and simplified sustainability disclosure for SMEs.
Green 100 is the brainchild of the Council for a Competitive Climate Transition (C3T), which is co-chaired by Menon and Kok Ping Soon, CEO of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF).
“It [climate action] is increasingly shaping markets, financing, procurement, and competitiveness itself, not to mention the implementation of CBAM in the EU, and possibly elsewhere,” reiterates Menon in May. “First movers who make this transition will be better positioned.”
