The “7th International Sustainable Congress 2015”, promoted by the Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), brought together around 800 people this Thursday (October 8) in the auditorium of Ibirapuera Park, in São Paulo. With a focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Conference (COP 21), guests were encouraged to discuss the new agenda for the planet’s sustainable economic development, in addition to answering the Congress’s theme question: “Is the Future Now?”.
“Brazil is experiencing a key moment to invest more heavily in a low-carbon economy, considering the environmental commitments that President Dilma announced two weeks ago in New York. Companies will play a key role in making this a reality. To achieve this, an environment is needed that clearly signals which investments will actually be encouraged. The objective of this event is to show companies and the general public how they can contribute to achieving the SDGs by implementing sustainable actions and technologies in their businesses,” stated Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS.
The first panel, moderated by Thereza Lobo, director of the Rio Como Vamos movement, was composed of Ana Carolina Szklo, Project and Content Manager at CEBDS; Claudia Lorenzo, Vice President of Corporate Relations at Coca-Cola Brazil; José Eli da Veiga, Senior Professor at the Institute of Energy and Environment at USP; and Marcelo Martinez, General Coordinator of Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the conversation, questions were asked about the role of companies in the process of sustainable development of society and how companies can help with innovation, technology and business solutions for the topic.
Claudia Lorenzo emphasized that it is in the companies’ interest to have this engagement. “The social and environmental aspects of companies must be directly linked to their profitability interests, so that there is engagement in meeting their goals. At Coca-Cola, all of our goals are guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” she stated.
With the theme “The central role of education for sustainable societies”, the second panel brought together Daniel Vargas, law professor at Fundação Getúlio Vargas; Maggi Krause, director of Fundação Victor Civita; André Barrence, managing partner of the Geekie teaching platform, and Tião Rocha, president of the Popular Center for Culture and Development (CPCD).
The challenge of improving education was the topic addressed by all panelists. Empathy and sharing information are the main points to improve the quality of education in Brazil, as it is impossible to achieve this in isolation. The highlight of the panel was Tião Rocha's speech. From a university professor, he became an educator in his own project, which brings education to underprivileged communities in Maranhão, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. “We need to offer people causes that transform them. People like to learn, but they hate studying, because schools have become boring with defined hierarchical models, just like prisons and mental hospitals,” he said.
Growth and prosperity were the central themes of panel number three, moderated by Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS. Among the topics discussed by the participants, the highlight was the role of the financial sector as an inducer of responsible practices and the valuation of carbon in Brazil. Paulo Stark, president of Siemens Brazil, announced that the company has goals of reducing carbon emissions by half by 2020 and completely by 2030. The executive also stated that technology is not an obstacle to good sustainable practices. “The technology exists and is financially accessible. The problem, especially in Brazil, is that companies feel insecure about investments with returns of more than 30 months, in addition to being afraid of changes in times of crisis,” he said.
For Nigel Topping, president of We Mean Business, there is no shortage of financial resources; what exists are psychological barriers that inhibit opportunities. “Now is the time to act. We need to calculate the risks and opportunities. Investors are focused on companies that offer low carbon consumption,” he says. Peter White, COO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), also said that Brazil would benefit from carbon pricing. “This type of initiative brings international credibility. It seems strange to me that Brazil is not yet part of this movement,” he concluded.
The fourth panel featured Justine Bell, senior manager of the Climate Bonds Initiative. According to her, green bonds are bonds from companies that care about the future and investors have increasingly sought out this type of bond. “In 2013, green bonds were launched on the market and we noticed a significant change in the investor base. There is no shortage of capital, but there is a notable shift in the type of shares that investors are looking for,” she concluded.
The event is sponsored by Abril, Itáu, Bradesco, Braskem, Santander, Siemens, Shell, Alcoa and Votorantim.
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