Marina Grossi, president of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), met this Tuesday (2) with leaders of business councils from more than 24 countries to present new perspectives and priority strategies of the Brazilian private sector for economic development until 2050, based on environmental and social sustainability. The presentation took place in Montreux (Switzerland), during the Liaison Delegate Meeting, promoted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
The Brazilian Corporate Sustainability Vision 2050 was developed between 2011 and 2012, with the participation of more than 70 business leaders in Brazil. "It was the first multisectoral plan in Brazil, which presented society with a long-term vision for companies, and it is still used as a reference not only for planning by associated companies, but also by the public sector, which joined CEBDS in this initiative," Marina emphasized.
At Tuesday's meeting in Switzerland, Marina highlighted CEBDS's decision to reorganize the document with a new perspective, considering, for example, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, created by the UN in 2015—three years after the publication of the first version—or even the Paris Agreement, also signed later. "A systemic approach has already been taken to address our main challenges. Sustainable development and the country's growth were still seen at the time as separate or even opposed, and I believe that Vision 2050 has the merit of bringing them together and further expanding this systemic vision, making the topics addressed even more cross-cutting," she said.
The first edition had nine themes (Values and Behavior
Human Development, Economy, Biodiversity and Forests, Agriculture and Livestock
Energy and Electricity, Sustainable Buildings, Mobility, and Materials and Waste. "We live in a different world today, and we need to rethink the exercise of looking ahead. What happened to our projects developed in 2010? Are they still relevant? We now have artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the bioeconomy. But we also have increased social inequality, a political crisis, and even blatant corruption," he reflected, highlighting that the new edition of the Brazil 2050 Vision for Sustainable Development will be developed throughout 2019 and 2020, focusing on topics currently addressed by CEBDS.
Discussions on the new Vision 2050 document have already begun at CEBDS, within the scope of its Advisory Board, and will be taken on April 24th to the Leaders' Council, the organization's highest body, which brings together CEOs from all associated companies.
