At an event held by the CEBDS Leaders Council, BlackRock Brazil CEO Carlos Takahashi highlights the importance of environmental, social and governance aspects in attracting foreign resources
Rio de Janeiro, May 20, 2020 – The chief executive in Brazil of the world's largest investment fund manager, the president of BlackRock Brazil, Carlos Takahashi, pointed out this Wednesday (20) the paths for companies to emerge from the current crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic with greater resilience. He spoke to more than 100 senior executives from Brazilian and multinational companies at the CEBDS (Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development) Leaders' Council and was blunt in stating that the most sustainable companies are those that will shine in the eyes of foreign investors, especially in relation to large infrastructure projects.
“We can no longer commit the sin of underestimating events that can bring severe damage to the future of humanity (such as climate change, for example, or this pandemic). Companies need to understand and assume their role in society, paying more attention to environmental, social and governance issues,” he said.
According to him, for Brazil, consistent progress on a long-term agenda (infrastructure and sustainability) also involves implementing more strategic communication with the international community of investors. “Brazil has become cheap for foreign investment. So, there are countless opportunities to attract new investments, especially in infrastructure, technology and health. But it is essential to improve the perception of the country abroad. And this depends on a collective effort. The government must be a coordinator of this agenda, but the private sector can also contribute”, stated Takahashi, highlighting the issue of the Amazon as an example that negatively affects the perception of the country's image among foreign investors.
This communication strategy with the investor community, he stressed, must be consistent, disciplined, regular and unique. “We need to be better organized and better understand who the long-term investors are, the sovereign wealth funds, and a whole range of investors within the international community,” Takahashi explained.
Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS, highlighted that large Brazilian companies are working on this challenge, connecting emergency actions before the current crisis with the construction of a long-term vision. “From a strategic point of view, the big question at this moment is how to prepare for the future,” she stated.
Present at the debate, Siemens CEO André Clark highlighted the positive influence of guidelines from investors such as BlackRock on companies’ business strategies. “Investors are consumers and they influence decision-making. Thus, companies are increasingly pressured by their investors to adopt social, environmental and governance criteria,” he stated. Solange Ribeiro, deputy CEO of Neoenergia, drew attention to Brazil’s energy matrix, the cleanest in the world and with enormous growth potential.
Carlos Takahashi highlighted that the investment manager seeks to influence through its participation in the Boards of Directors. “BlackRock does not have a majority position, but a relevant minority, through which it seeks to recommend, influence and demand, for example, greater diversity not only in the boards of companies, but also in their Human Resources policy”, he said.
Also participating in the debate were the CEOs of Vedacit, Marcos Bicudo (CEBDS chair), and Ecolab, Orson Ledezma. Among the participants who attended the CEBDS webinar were executives from Vale, Banco do Brasil, Santander, Suzano, Engie, Lojas Renner, Shell, BR Distribuidora, Klabin, Tozzini Freire, and the institutions Febraban, Fecomercio and IBP, among others.
This was the second webinar promoted by the CEBDS Leadership Council, in a series focused on possible futures – for capitalism, work and leadership – rethinking the ways in which companies act in society, reconfiguring the social responsibility of businesses and prioritizing profits with purposes, in view of the pandemic scenario generated by the coronavirus. The webinar is available on the CEBDS YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CEBDSBR.
ABOUT CEBDS
The Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) is a non-profit civil association that promotes sustainable development through articulation with governments and civil society, in addition to disseminating the most current concepts and practices on the subject. Founded in 1997, it brings together around 60 of the largest business groups in the country, responsible for more than 1 million direct jobs. It represents in Brazil the network of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), which has almost 60 national and regional councils in 36 countries and 22 industrial sectors, in addition to 200 business groups that operate in all continents. More information: https://cebds.org/.
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