Focusing on the agenda of actions for the next five years, and aiming to achieve Sustainable Brazil in 2050, the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) launched the Action Platform 2020, project inspired by Action 2020, developed by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Throughout this year, a series of workshops with the companies and renowned experts who helped in the construction of Must Haves (society objectives) and participated in discussions around business solutions, as well as in identifying driving elements that contribute to the success of these solutions.
“The Platform online Action 2020 is the space where these elements converge, where the challenges for 2020 and business solutions will be connected and constantly evolving,” explained Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS.
According to Paul Gilding, a world leader in corporate sustainability who spoke at the event, we have reached a point where the effects of sustainable business will impact the global economic growth process. The goal is for global per capita income to increase by 300% by 2050, and for this to happen, economic and sustainable resources must triple. "Corporate leadership in sustainable practices is paramount, as they play a powerful role in the process as a whole. We are experiencing a major leadership crisis in this sector, and our role is to bridge this gap. We can manage this transition without causing suffering to the population or serious economic consequences for countries or companies," he stated.
The priority areas to be addressed by Action 2020 are Climate Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Land Use, Land Use Change and Food Security, Water, Basic Rights and Needs, Employment and Training, and Sustainable Production and Consumption.
Starting from the identification of the society's measurable and verifiable objectives (the Must-Haves) established for each of the priority areas, the project consists of the elaboration of a set of business actions (Business Solutions), enabling conditions and factors (enablers) necessary, such as public policies, technology and training, to be developed by 2020, so that the objectives set are achieved.
Marina Grossi believes that many initiatives are already underway, and now the biggest challenge is to intensify partnerships with companies. "The practice must be business-oriented; that's our main message. Ação 2020 is not a platform created solely to encourage corporate involvement, but also to identify where we can count on government participation and ensure everyone involved in the process understands the value of shared work," she said. These initiatives, to be led by companies, respond to society's urgent needs in priority areas of sustainable development, seeking scale and speed in implementing solutions.
Also participating in the event were Carlos Nomoto, director of sustainable development at Banco Santander; Denise Hills, superintendent of sustainability at Itaú-Unibanco; and Jorge Soto, director of sustainable development at Braskem. The three discussed the future of business and actions for a sustainable country. Hills concluded that "the lack of a perfect model cannot be an excuse for inaction."
Watch the platform launch video and hear the opinions of renowned experts, representatives of civil society, academia and governments who participated in the construction of the main stages of the Action 2020.
Access platform
