In a meeting with business leaders this Tuesday, Speaker of the House, Congressman Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ), announced the creation of a working group to advance legislative projects related to the sustainability agenda.
The business leaders' movement for sustainability met this morning with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ), and Representatives Rodrigo Agostinho (PSB-SP), Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies' Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, and Zé Silva (SD-MG), author of Bill 2633/2020 on land regularization. At the meeting, Maia announced the creation of a working group to list and advance legislative projects related to the sustainability agenda.
“It was a very objective conversation, focusing on ongoing legislative projects that can contribute to issues such as combating illegal deforestation, land regularization, traceability, and environmental licensing,” explained Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS (Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development), at a press conference held after the meeting.
In addition to her, the meeting with the deputies was attended by André Nassar (President of Abiove); Carlo Pereira (President of the Global Compact); Domingo Lastra (CEO of ADM); Leila Melo (Executive Director of Banco Itaú); Marcello Brito, (President of Abag); Otávio Carvalheira (CEO of Alcoa); Patrícia Audi (Executive VP of Banco Santander) and Paulo Hartung (President of Ibá).
One of the business movement's main goals is to separate these companies from those operating outside the law. "The main issue is that there are a small number of private properties operating illegally, which calls into question the credibility of our legislation and also our products abroad," said André Nassar, president of Abiove (Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries). According to the president of Abag (Brazilian Agribusiness Association), the sector understands that there are problems in the production chain. "But we will not turn a blind eye. Transparency in production chains is beneficial for our products," said Brito.
Carlo Pereira, president of the Global Compact, emphasized that Brazil has a positive agenda to showcase. "We are far ahead of developing countries," he stated. According to the president of Abiove, the soybean and beef chains, for example, have set up tracking systems for their products. "The goal is to ensure that the exported product complies with all Brazilian legislation," he explained.
The ABAG president also reinforced the business sector's suggestion that discussions on new credit lines, which may be approved by the National Congress, include compliance requirements related to the low-carbon economy. "In other words, taking advantage of this moment of reinvention to pursue a more inclusive, horizontal economy that spans all sectors," said Brito. Tax reform, which could have a positive impact on the environmental and circular economy agenda, was also discussed at the meeting with representatives.
Business articulation
On the 10th, executives met with the president of the National Council of the Legal Amazon, Vice President Hamilton Mourão, and discussed strengthening actions to combat deforestation in the Amazon and other biomes, greater participation and joint work on policies that encourage a green recovery of the economy, towards a low-carbon scenario.
These meetings are an offshoot of the Notice from the Brazilian Business Sector, which was made public on July 7th. The business movement is also organizing meetings with the presidents of the Supreme Federal Court and the Federal Senate, as well as the Attorney General of the Republic. The document, which is gaining new supporters daily, currently has approximately 60 CEOs of companies and business groups from the industrial, agricultural, and service sectors, as well as five investors and five institutions. The initiative is led by CEBDS, the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG), and the Brazilian Tree Institute (IBÁ), and also includes Abiove and the Global Compact Brazil Network.
