Brazilian Government Launches Digital Platform Offering Green Credit with Reduced Interest Rates for Small Businesses

The initiative also ensures access to capacity-building and sustainable technologies for entrepreneurs in Brazil

BY MEMP

On Monday, 17 November, during COP30 in Belém (Pará), the Government of Brazil launched Empreender Clima (Climate Entrepreneurship Platform), an innovative digital platform designed to support micro and small business owners in their transition toward a green and low-carbon economy. The initiative is the result of a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprises and Small Businesses (MEMP), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), and the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). These institutions have joined forces to deliver accessible green credit, capacity-building, and sustainable technologies to entrepreneurs across Brazil.

In a context of high interest rates, Empreender Clima ensures affordable credit for small businesses, offering rates starting at 4.4% per annum and up to 100% financing for investments in sustainable projects. Through the platform, entrepreneurs can create a business profile, access tailored training and educational content, and — in under ten minutes and free of charge — generate a preliminary eligibility document for the Fundo Clima (Climate Fund), Brazil’s primary federal financing mechanism for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects.

Financing under the Fundo Clima offers long-term repayment horizons and flexible conditions, tailored to the nature of each project. Green logistics, public transport, and sustainable mobility initiatives may benefit from repayment periods of up to 25 years, with grace periods of up to five years. Projects focused on native forests and water resources may access financing with repayment terms of up to 25 years and grace periods of up to eight years. Even industrial and clean energy sectors are eligible for differentiated terms, with financing of up to 16 years and grace periods of up to six years — providing meaningful financial breathing room for small entrepreneurs to invest, grow, and generate positive environmental impact.

According to Márcio França, Minister of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprises and Small Businesses (MEMP), Empreender Clima represents a new chapter in Brazil’s productive credit policy. “For a long time, green credit remained a distant promise for small businesses. Now, even in a high-interest environment, the government has created an alternative that offers accessible rates and realistic repayment terms. It places the small entrepreneur at the center of the ecological transition — with affordable credit, training, and technology working in favor of their business,” he emphasized.

The platform consolidates, in a single digital environment, training courses on climate entrepreneurship, a map of Brazil’s green business ecosystem, a catalogue of financial instruments, and a pre-eligibility service for the Fundo Clima. The initiative targets eight strategic sectors — including energy, agriculture, logistics, construction, and waste management — and is structured around four key pillars: opportunity mapping, capacity-building in clean technologies, connection to green credit instruments, and technical support for financially viable projects.

The platform was designed to reduce longstanding barriers that have limited small entrepreneurs’ access to green finance. Through this tool, micro and small business owners with environmental projects can — at no cost and with speed and simplicity — generate pre-projects aligned with eligibility criteria, unlocking access to one of the country’s principal sources of clean economy financing. The overarching goal is to ensure that climate credit is not confined to large corporations, but reaches the productive base that drives the nation forward.

MEMP is participating in COP30 with a dedicated agenda focused on promoting sustainable and regional economies. The Ministry is present in the Biodiversity Pavilion – Sustainable Products of Brazil, located in the Green Zone, in partnership with the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives (OCB), showcasing products from women-led cooperatives, artisanal goods, and other initiatives.

Translation: Michel Emmanuel Félix François (POET/UFC)
Proofreading: Tadeu Azevedo (POET/UFC)