In a meeting with the Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras, this Friday, business leaders demanded that illegal deforestation and gangs that act under the cover of a lack of punishment be tackled.
Rio de Janeiro - The fight against illegal and systematic deforestation in the Amazon, which accounts for approximately 98% of the rates recorded in the biome, requires action by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. This was the main message from the movement of business leaders for sustainability to the Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras, in a virtual meeting held on the afternoon of this Friday (21). The group also highlighted that the current scenario represents a lack of respect for the Constitution and favors a gang that acts under the cover of the lack of punishment. The leaders also announced that they will request a hearing with ministers of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), in continuation of the dialogue and coordination with authorities.
Aras highlighted the importance of the articulation of the Brazilian business sector and said that the Amazon is "very important to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office because most of its area is under the care of our institution, whether in terms of the environment or indigenous communities and traditional populations," stated the Attorney General of the Republic. At the meeting, Aras made the Amazon Task Force, which also participates in the National Amazon Council, available for closer ties and dialogue with the business movement and also committed to requesting priority in the judgment of constitutional actions - such as those related to the Forest Code - in the Federal Supreme Court (STF) under the administration of Minister Luiz Fux, which will begin in September.
“Illegal deforestation harms business and we need the strength of institutions to combat illegality. The issue is that this context of destruction has resulted in strong international pressure, including threats and investment flight realizations “On another front, there is greater resistance to the entry of new investments,” said Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS (Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development), who also participated in a public hearing promoted by the National Council of Justice (CNJ), in which the proposal to create an International Technological Observatory of data to gather information and monitor results on deforestation was discussed.
According to the president of the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG), Marcello Brito, legal uncertainty has been a major obstacle for companies. “We need to establish a partnership and work together to reduce the legal uncertainty that affects companies that generate jobs, pay taxes and generate development for Brazil, through a process of legality and citizenship,” said Brito. The president of the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá), Paulo Hartung, pointed to the implementation of the Forest Code as a support instrument for combating illegality in the Amazon. “We have produced modern legislation, but it has been under judicial review for 8 years. We need to end this process so that rural producers and investors can have legal certainty,” he noted.
The president of the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove), André Nassar, said that Brazil needs a solution for land regularization. “We believe that it is necessary to implement a project that can eliminate conflicts, bring legal certainty, increase investments and offer economic inclusion to countless rural producers,” said Nassar. Carlo Pereira, executive secretary of the Global Compact Network Brazil, defended the recovery of the economy and sustainable recovery, given the international repercussions of the country's environmental policies.
Duratex CEO Antônio Joaquim de Oliveira stressed the importance of seeking zero deforestation. “We must seek zero illegal deforestation. It is absolutely unnecessary to deforest and it is essential to combat deforestation. The Public Prosecutor's Office has an important role, we have advanced legislation, our role is to enforce the law and make it work,” said the executive.
Cosan CEO Luis Henrique Guimarães highlighted the transition to a low-carbon economy, based on renewable energy and with access to capital, such as green bonds (green bonds). “Brazil is already a leader in the area of renewable energy and we end up being quite criticized for the part that we haven’t done well yet”, commented the executive, highlighting that Cosan raised US$1.5 billion with green bonds to reduce the carbon footprint of railways. According to him, the global green bond market is worth US$1.4 billion. “And Brazil raised US$1.1 billion of that last year,” he added.
Business articulation
The meeting with Augusto Aras was the fifth in a series of meetings that the business movement has been holding since the launch of the Brazilian Business Sector Statement on July 7. Last week, business leaders met with ministers Dias Toffoli and Luís Roberto Barroso of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and the governors of the Legal Amazon Consortium (Rondônia, Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, Pará, Amapá, Tocantins, Mato Grosso and Maranhão).
The first meeting was on July 10, when the executives met with the president of the National Council for the Legal Amazon, Vice President Hamilton Mourão, who committed to adopting and announcing semiannual targets against deforestation, fires and land grabbing. After that, on July 28, the executives met with the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ), and with deputies Rodrigo Agostinho (PSB-SP) and Zé Silva (SD-MG). At the time, Maia announced the creation of a working group to list and advance legislative projects related to the sustainability agenda.
The document, which is gaining new signatures day after day, currently has a total of 79 signatures, 69 of which are from CEOs of companies and business groups in the industrial, agricultural and service sectors, in addition to five investment fund leaders and five presidents of institutions. The Communiqué also has the institutional support of the Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL), National Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation CO2 Zero and American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham Brazil).
The initiative is led by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG) and the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá), and also has the support of the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove) and the Global Compact Brazil Network.
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/.
PRESS CONTACTS
Eduardo Nunes
eduardonunes@altercomunicacao.com.br | +55 21 99864.4245
