30/09/2025

In an era where innovation and digital transformation are driving the global shift toward sustainability, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. From artificial intelligence (AI) to digital platforms, new tools are helping these companies reduce emissions, optimize operations, and seize sustainable growth opportunities. In a timely move ahead of COP30, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Sebrae have joined forces to develop digital solutions tailored to the specific needs of these companies, offering practical support on the path to a greener economy.

"The legacy we want to leave goes far beyond the event. COP30 is a milestone, but what really matters is what it can permanently transform," said Décio Lima, president of Sebrae. "We want a new generation of small businesses, more conscious, more connected to their territories, better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of a low-carbon economy. It's an opportunity, as the event will take place in the heart of the Amazon and will serve as inspiration for the creation of new, sustainable businesses in every sense."

Macaozinho, a generative AI chatbot specializing in information about global climate change and conferences like COP30, is one of the results of the partnership. It can be used by SMEs to obtain reliable and verified information about global climate change; identify opportunities such as available financing and funds; and establish strategic connections between these organizations and cooperative networks and impact investors. Named after macaws, the symbolic birds of Brazil, it differs from other AIs in that its database consists primarily of official UN documents, making it a more reliable and impartial tool for SME managers.

Décio Lima, president of Sebrae

In addition to Macaozinho, another solution created as a result of the partnership between UNDP and Sebrae is Maloca, a digital platform to democratize access to COP30. "Our goal is to help COP30 become a 'turning point' for the international community, by designing pathways to increase the implementation of actions to combat global warming," said José Miguez, Technical Coordinator of 'Route to Belém.' According to him, digital tools like Macaozinho and Maloca aim to increase engagement in debates on global climate change. 

" Maloca, for example, allows institutions around the world to bring COP30 to their communities, schools, or associations. And it's important to note that the development of not only Maloca but the 'Route to Belém' initiative as a whole is only possible thanks to the support of organizations like Sebrae, which has been a strategic partner on the road to COP30," adds Miguez.

Sustainability and innovation

According to data from Sebrae , SMEs represent 98% of Brazilian businesses, generate 72% of jobs, and 26.5% of Brazil's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), making them essential to an effective strategy for a just climate transition. "Artificial intelligence, innovation, sustainability, and inclusion are concepts that are irreversible, and small businesses are already part of this reality," stated Lima, highlighting how the organization has worked to ensure that entrepreneurs are prepared to meet the growing demand for more sustainable solutions—always ensuring the preservation of service quality, regional identity, and environmental commitment.

"We can't imagine sustainability not encompassing the small economy, which in Brazil represents 95% of CNPJs," said Lima. "We need to make sustainability a permanent value, because there's no longer room for an economy that isn't sustainable and globalized. We can no longer imagine any economic protagonism that isn't embedded in the context of technology and innovation. Sustainability is the foundation of everything we can build, as it generates inclusion and opportunities," he adds.

The president of Sebrae reinforces the climate of optimism ahead of the climate conference in Belém. "We are fully engaged in preparing Brazilian micro and small businesses for COP30. Sebrae has been working strategically to ensure that small businesses are not only present, but also protagonists at an event of such global importance."