Sustainability Challenges and Priorities in Brazilian Small Businesses and Cooperatives Revealed
Research during COP-30 exposes low sustainability adoption among Brazilian small businesses but outlines key priorities for progress among cooperatives and enterprises.
- • 51% of Brazilian small businesses do not see advantages in offering sustainable products, with only 5% recognizing benefits from sustainability.
- • 48% of small enterprises feel no external pressure to adopt sustainable practices; pressure is mainly from larger clients and the government.
- • Younger companies show higher awareness and perception of sustainability opportunities.
- • Six immediate priorities for cooperatives and small businesses include strengthening cooperation culture, leadership development, reducing dependency on public funding, improving processes, evidence-based decisions, and embedding sustainability in daily operations.
Key details
A recent study by the Centro Sebrae de Sustentabilidade, presented during COP-30, highlights significant challenges faced by Brazilian small businesses regarding sustainability adoption. The research found that 51% of small enterprises do not see offering sustainable products as advantageous, and only 5% perceive a direct benefit from sustainability practices. Nearly half (48%) of these businesses feel no external pressure to adopt sustainable measures, with minimal demands coming from large clients (18%) or the government (21%). Younger businesses, however, report more awareness and opportunity related to sustainability. André Schelini, Technical Director at Sebrae/MT, emphasized the strategic importance of small businesses in Brazil's climate agenda, pointing to the need for practical tools to translate sustainability commitments into tangible results.
Parallelly, insights from Paraíba's cooperatives and small businesses underscore six immediate priorities to foster sustainable development across economic, social, environmental, and institutional dimensions. Economist Emanuel Malta identifies the importance of strengthening a cooperative culture to unify isolated efforts, developing capable leadership for navigating complex governance, and reducing reliance on public funding to ensure autonomy. Additionally, improving process management with technology, practicing evidence-based decision-making, and integrating sustainability into daily operations are critical. Malta highlights that sustained dialogue and shared learning are fundamental to building a robust cooperative ecosystem fostering overall Brazilian economic growth.
Together, these findings depict a gap between sustainability intentions and actions in Brazil's small business sector while outlining clear priorities and support mechanisms to bridge this divide in the pursuit of a low-carbon, resilient economy.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.