COP30 Highlights Call for Climate Governance Reform and Green Finance Access for Small Brazilian Businesses

At COP30 in Belém, significant initiatives have been launched to reform climate governance and enhance financial support for micro and small businesses in Brazil, crucial actors in the ecological transition. Sebrae unveiled a manifesto titled "For a Just Socioeconomic Climate Development Centered on Small Businesses," aiming to integrate these enterprises into global climate policy discussions. The manifesto is built on three central principles: recognizing climate as a pathway to development, considering green initiatives as economic value, and highlighting the importance of territory in climate policies. Sebrae President Décio Lima emphasized that 96% of Brazilian companies, mostly small businesses, must be included in international climate efforts for an equitable transition. The manifesto proposes innovative tools such as regionalized green microfinance, emergency climate credit, simplified climate insurance, municipal carbon credit methodologies, Tropical Sustainability Standards, recognition of traditional knowledge, and a Climate Justice Seal to strengthen small businesses' resilience and participation in climate action.

In parallel, the Brazilian government launched the Empreender Clima digital platform during the same event, designed to facilitate green credit access for micro and small entrepreneurs. Developed in partnership with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship (MEMP), OEI, Sebrae, and BNDES, the platform offers low-interest loans starting at 4.4% annually, with financing of up to 100% for sustainable projects. Entrepreneurs can create profiles, access tailored training, and obtain pre-qualification documents for the Fundo Clima financing mechanism, which supports varied sectors such as clean energy, forestry, and sustainable mobility with repayment terms up to 25 years. MEMP head Márcio França described this as a transformative step to dismantle historical barriers to green finance, empowering grassroots business owners to invest in sustainable growth.

Sebrae's presence at COP30 included a 400 m² immersive stand inspired by the Amazon, highlighting Brazilian innovation and culture while fostering dialogue between entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers. These concerted efforts reinforce the Brazilian government's commitment to promoting a just, inclusive ecological transition that prioritizes adapted financial tools and governance reforms, ensuring climate diplomacy hears those most affected by climate change. As Décio Lima stated, COP30 should be remembered as the turning point when climate policies finally centered small businesses in the global climate agenda.