The challenge

Crédito Agrícola has publicly committed to reducing both its direct CO₂ emissions - related to its own consumption, facilities, and operations, which account for less than 0.1% of total emissions - and its indirect emissions, linked to investments and financing, which represent over 99.9% of total emissions.

Specifically, Crédito Agrícola aims to reduce CO₂ emissions from its own operations by 60% by 2030, and achieve a cumulative 45% reduction across eight key sectors within its credit portfolio.

To meet these targets, Crédito Agrícola must play an active role in supporting companies within its portfolio to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy. However, many of these companies are SMEs with limited financial and human resources to dedicate to this transition.

The solution

To equip SMEs with the tools and knowledge needed to begin their sustainability journey, Crédito Agrícola developed the Plano de Proximidade, Transição e Impacto, from which the Turismo Sustentável acceleration programme was born.

Turismo Sustentável is the first accelerator for SMEs promoted by the banking sector with the goal of kick-starting these organisations’ sustainability journeys.

Drawing on its extensive experience in growth programmes, maze designed a tailored initiative for tourism SMEs to create their first sustainability report. The ultimate goal was not only to begin collecting data, but also to reflect on and define their future sustainability strategies.

The 18-week programme combined group sessions with individual support, enabling companies to engage in a shared learning experience with peer organisations while receiving close, personalised guidance from the maze team.

The outcomes

The second outcome was a toolkit for SMEs in the tourism sector looking to create their first sustainability report. Drawing on the methodology developed for the programme and the experiences of the participating companies, the maze team created a step-by-step guide to support SMEs throughout the reporting process.

The 3 key success factors

1. A shared experience within the sector

Choosing a specific sector and building the programme around it proved advantageous both operationally and from the participants’ perspective. By working exclusively with tourism SMEs, the maze team was able to develop targeted, relevant content. Participants also emphasised the value of exchanging knowledge and experiences with peers in the same line of business.

2. The value of individual support

Individual support was repeatedly highlighted in feedback sessions as a key element of the programme’s success. This aspect of the acceleration methodology is crucial to keeping participants motivated throughout the process and ensuring that goals can be adjusted when necessary.

3. From six organisations to an entire sector

Finally, it was essential to document the programme’s learnings in order to scale the approach across the broader sector. As noted from the outset, Crédito Agrícola has set ambitious sustainability goals that can only be achieved if its portfolio clients are also empowered and motivated to transition. This methodology cannot be limited to a few clients - it must reach much further. That’s why we created a public toolkit for any company in the tourism sector looking to produce its own sustainability report.

Testimonials

“I was quite scared initially, but as the programme progressed, with the help of theoretical sessions, support materials, and especially the individual support, everything became clearer. In the end, we were able to reach the final goal: launching our first sustainability report.” José Rocha - Quinta a Pacheca

”The programme represented an unmissable opportunity to design a sustainability strategy and to implement the necessary processes to start reporting in the most efficient way.” Ana Plattenberg - Luna Hotels & Resorts

NPS: 100%

How this could apply to you

The times we live in demand that everyone steps up to their responsibilities. For large corporates and financial institutions, this means empowering their value chains to collect data, report transparently, and design sustainable strategies for the future.

Doing so requires creativity and a thoughtful approach to engaging all stakeholders in the journey to Net Zero.

With our toolbox, which includes venture capital, growth programmes, and advisory, maze is ready to sit down with you, reflect together, and co-create strategies that lead to impactful, collective change.