2025 has everything to be special for cooperatives, with expectations of opportunities and international prominence for the sector. The United Nations (UN) has set 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, repeating the tribute it paid in 2012. The initiative will place the cooperative at the center of the global agenda.

The year will also be marked by a unique event in Brazilian history. For the first time in 30 editions, the country will host the UN Conference of the Parties (COP), which brings together leaders and representatives from around the world to take action on the climate crisis. COP30 will take place in Belém, Pará, in November.

The Conference will be a great opportunity for Brazilian cooperatives to establish themselves as protagonists in the low-carbon economy. The sector is already planning, with the support of the OCB System, to take advantage of the stage in Belém and lead the transformation towards sustainable development.

Cooperativism is already a protagonist in COPs

The presence of Brazilian cooperatives in debates and in the formulation of projects to combat the climate crisis is nothing new. The OCB System has actively participated in all the COPs since 2021, taking success stories to Glasgow, Sharm El-Sheikh and Dubai through presentations, panels and roundtables.

The sequence continued in Baku, at COP29. The OCB System coordinated the panel “Cooperativism and Sustainable Finance”, held in the Brazil Pavilion. Sicredi, Sicoob, Cresol and BNDES demonstrated how credit cooperatives boost the financing of sustainable initiatives.

Another panel featuring Brazilian cooperatives was “The role of cooperatives in advancing climate action”. At the invitation of the International Trade Center (ITC), the OCB System was present to support Cooxupé and Coopercitrus, which detailed their sustainability initiatives.

Cooperativism aligned with public policies

COP29 was also the stage for productive discussions beyond the panels. Representatives of the OCB System and credit unions met with Nabil Kadri, the environment superintendent of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), to discuss the Climate and Amazon funds, which aim to finance projects to mitigate climate change and preserve the Amazon rainforest, respectively.

Another productive conversation in Azerbaijan took place with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA). At the meeting, the EcoInvest platform was presented, designed by the Brazilian government to encourage the restoration and conservation of pastures through public calls for proposals. Representatives from Sicoob, Sicredi, Cresol, Cooxupé and Coopercitrus presented insights into how to make the system work better.

Goals for Belém

Brazilian cooperatives from all sectors and the OCB System are working towards a common goal: achieving a low-carbon economy. This is an essential step for Brazil to collaborate with the goal of keeping global warming to 1.5ºC compared to pre-industrial levels. The target, established in the Paris Agreement, is the key number for mitigating the impacts of climate change.

The COPs serve as occasions to discuss measures and projects that will bring the planet closer to this goal. Therefore, COP30 will be the ideal stage to disseminate the economic and environmental impact of cooperativism, a model with principles aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As well as being at home in Belém, Brazilian cooperativism should have an even stronger platform at COP30 to showcase its initiatives and innovations. The International Year of Cooperatives will put the sector in the spotlight, closer to the UN in discussions on public policies.

It will be a unique chance to show that Brazil's cooperatives play a key role in building projects that can inspire the rest of the planet. An example of this is the regulation of the carbon market, an agenda that made progress in the Senate and House during COP29 and is awaiting presidential sanction to become law. 

Through the OCB System, cooperatives actively participated in the negotiations for a favorable regulatory environment and, at the same time, effective implementation of this new market.

What cooperatives already do for the environment and where they want to go further

Cooperativism is made up of people who form associations and produce for them, thus generating gains for the common good. The OCB System's role in this network is to unify these organizations and strengthen the movement as a whole. When it comes to environmental agendas, the stance is no different. The organization promotes sustainable projects and is already working towards a prosperous participation in COP30.

One of its main initiatives is the creation of the COP30 Thematic Chamber. It brings together 17 representatives from cooperatives, central and state organizations (OCEs) in order to align participation in the next COP and identify relevant voices for the communication strategy. The chamber held a meeting before the conference in Azerbaijan, already discussing the 2025 edition.

Another idea of the OCB System is to create the Cooperativism Pavilion in Belém. The organization has already presented the proposal to the government and international partners. The space would be dedicated to exhibiting examples of success and contributions from national and international cooperatives.

Green funding

Participation in COP29 shows that the OCB System sees credit cooperativism as a way of leveraging the financing of sustainable initiatives and community development. As highlighted in the panel “Cooperativism and Sustainable Finance” in Baku, Brazilian cooperativism is at the forefront of green finance.

In the panel “The role of cooperatives in advancing climate action”, the message was that agricultural cooperatives need to embrace the responsibility of being agents of transformation in the countryside. 

Data shows how this trend is underway in Brazil: 63% of cooperative farmers receive technical assistance, while the national average is 20%. A sample of how organizations in the sector disseminate good practices and education about environmental impacts.

Examples of success

The systemic approach adopted by the OCB, which aims to promote alignment in favor of sustainability and strengthen the cooperative movement, is also supported by the efforts of individual cooperatives.The credit and agricultural sectors are full of positive examples in this regard, some of which were taken to Azerbaijan.

One of these cases is from Cresol, which, together with Sicoob and Sicredi, shared its strategies for fostering the bioeconomy and the development of family farming.The cooperative allocated R$78 million to green credit lines in 2023, benefiting more than 55,000 people in 70 municipalities.The cooperative is also active in the social sphere, promoting inclusion in its board of directors and educational projects.

In the agricultural sector, Cooxupé is one of the benchmarks in sustainable practices. The world's largest coffee cooperative exhibited its good practices at COP29, along with Coopercitrus. The Guaxupé association's highlight is the Generations Protocol, which supports producers in meeting the environmental, social and economic requirements demanded by market certifications. 

Initiatives such as those of Cresol, Cooxupé and many other cooperatives go beyond the environmental impact, which in itself would be significant. These projects, aligned with the general vision of the OCB System, ensure that cooperativism contributes to social inclusion, sustainable development and the strengthening of communities.

Conclusion

COP30 will be a historic event for Brazil. Belém is preparing for its magnitude with infrastructure works, benefiting from government funding of R$4.7 billion. And Brazilian cooperatives are also preparing in advance to take advantage of the international platform to position themselves.

In 2025, the spotlight will be on cooperativism, especially because of the International Year.It's time for the movement, with the support of the OCB System, to continue showing with concrete actions that it can lead the way towards sustainable development and the mitigation of global warming.