Business and civil society leaders said this Wednesday, in a webinar from the CEBDS ReVision 2050 series, that it is essential to reduce inequalities now to build fairer and more inclusive cities in the future
Rio de Janeiro, August 5, 2020 – The enormous social and economic inequality in Brazil gained differentiated evidence in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and, therefore, requires an immediate joint effort from all segments to make cities more inclusive and socially fair in the perspective of 2050. In summary, this was the main message from the participants of the last meeting in the series of eight webinars of the Revision 2050 project, held by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS).
“You can’t just think about growth. The key word here is to seek prosperity”, said Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS, who moderated the debate on Cities. For the president of CUFA Global, Preto Zezé, the challenge is immediate. “Some issues are challenging right now. And inequality is at its core. Today, there are 15 million unemployed and we are approaching 100,000 deaths from Covid-19. There is a lot of talk about post-pandemic, but for me it is now-pandemic. There needs to be a social protection program now, urgently,” he said.
With 15 million people living in favelas today in Brazil, Zezé noted that 40% of them have difficulty accessing regular use of water and soap. “Some of these people who are in these territories do not have the right to social isolation for reasons of basic infrastructure and housing. In the favela, we are already experts in the minimum state”, added the president of CUFA Global. According to him, the ideal would be to seek a new look and a new perspective in the face of the challenges that arise. “I don’t want to go back to normal because normal was enormous indifference in the face of so many historically rooted tragic things,” he said.
The president of the Toyota Foundation, Viviane Mansi, also sees urgency in implementing a more inclusive agenda for cities. In her view, it is necessary to make spaces public for everyone. “And this needs to come long before 2050. Ultimately, the pandemic came to demonstrate that we will only be successful if our ecosystem is for everyone. If I have a small merchant going bankrupt, the big chains also suffer. If I expand the consumption base, it is possible to lower the price and everyone is successful. So, we have to push for an increasingly inclusive agenda. This requires more listening and dialogue skills. It is a complex challenge that requires discipline”, said Viviane.
The president of Vedacit, Marcos Bicudo, highlighted that Covid-19 has accentuated these inequalities. For him, the private sector must be the protagonist in reorienting this agenda, towards a fairer, cleaner and more inclusive economy. “The company needs to stop thinking about generating results and start generating value. This transition from the private sector to capitalism stakeholders (publics of interest), within a systemic vision, for the generation of shared value is the foundation for this reorientation”, commented the Vedacit executive.
In the context of companies, the executive secretary of the ICLEI South America, Rodrigo de Oliveira Perpétuo, highlighted the importance of looking at production chains. “We can influence purchasing dynamics. Look for suppliers that are closest to the line of action and that adopt sustainability criteria. Hiring processes are powerful instruments for social inclusion and valuing diversity”, suggested Perpétuo, also highlighting the ethical issue as a guiding principle for all organizations.
Despite the enormous challenges, the president of CUFA Global also highlighted advances in the public agenda, such as the debate around a basic income, which started at R$ 200.00 and was raised to R$ 600.00; the creation of a Basic Income Parliamentary Front, recently formed to guarantee social protection; the postponement of ENEM and the STF's decision to prevent police actions in favela territories. “There is a space for the public agenda. There is a sensitivity towards companies. And there is a renewal of society’s engagement”, concluded Preto Zezé. “Guys, in the favela we are a doctor in difficulties, a post-doctor in tragedies and we have a PHD in everything bad that happens. What has to be new now is what we can do to turn this game around because we don’t even have the privilege of crying”, he concluded.
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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Eduardo Nunes – eduardonunes@altercomunicacao.com.br | +55 21 99864.4245
