During Climate Week New York, which takes place this week, the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) will present private sector initiatives to curb illegal deforestation and more ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Rio de Janeiro, September 22, 2019 – The increase in illegal deforestation in the Amazon has drawn the international attention of major investors to the country's forest preservation initiatives and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets set by the Paris Agreement. To demonstrate the business sector's commitment to this agenda, the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) will present companies' initiatives for a climate ambition that prioritizes zero emissions (net zero) and socially fair development post-pandemic at Climate Week in New York.
One of the major global events on climate change, the Climate Week New York, organized by The Climate Group, will take place from September 21 to 27, with more than 350 events, which will bring together business and government leaders, as well as experts from different areas, to build consensus on more ambitious climate actions that will allow the increase in global temperature to be kept to 2°C. The full event agenda can be accessed here.
“GHG emissions on the planet are estimated to fall by 6% this year, reflecting the reduction in the burning of fossil fuels. On the other hand, Brazil could see an increase of 10% to 20% in emissions compared to 2018, depending on the trajectory of deforestation in the Amazon in the coming months and the time it takes for the economy to begin recovering. This upward trajectory of GHG emissions is heading in the opposite direction. the strong contraction predicted for the Brazilian and global economy, and also contrary to the goals of our National Policy on Climate Change”, warns the president of CEBDS, Marina Grossi.
Marina also highlights the particularly difficult year the country has experienced, with the worsening of the economic recession and the effects of the new coronavirus pandemic. “We have lost many lives, businesses and jobs are at risk, and the confidence of Brazilians has been affected. In terms of climate ambition, there is much to be done. fail to meet targets climate for 2020, the Brazil must enter into debt in the period of compliance with the Paris Agreement, which will make the NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) more expensive and difficult to comply with”.
CEBDS will be present at three virtual panels at Climate Week in New York, in its own event and in partnerships with the Climate and Society Institute (iCS) and the Amazônia Possível initiative. The Council also supports an event held by the Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition.
The official CEBDS event takes place on Friday (25), at 10 am, with the panel How the Business Sector is Supporting the Amazon. The event will bring together representatives from the business sector to present initiatives to support the Amazon, under the values of the bioeconomy, through nature-based solutions, facing the challenges posed by climate change, loss of biodiversity and human rights.
The program begins this Tuesday (22), with the international launch of the Guide “10 Business Principles for a Sustainable Amazon”, a partnership between CEBDS, Instituto Arapyaú, Coalizão Brasil Clima, Florestas e Agricultura, Instituto Ethos, Rede Brasil do Pacto Global da ONU and Sistema B. The Guide aims to be a guide for companies that wish to operate more sustainably in the Amazon region.
On Wednesday (23), at 10 am, the president of CEBDS will participate in the virtual debate on green recovery and the Brazilian perspective, held in partnership with iCS. The event will present possibilities for implementing Recovery Plans with a focus on climate and a new, more sustainable economy, considering the public and private sectors. At 3 pm, CEBDS will support the debate promoted by the Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition, on traceability in the agricultural sector as a way of protecting Brazilian forests and gaining credibility with the international market.
CEBDS AGENDA FOR NEW YORK CLIMATE WEEK
OFFICIAL EVENT
September 25th
10am to 11:30am (Brasília time)
Event Title: How is the Business Sector Supporting the Amazon?
*Event in English
Never in history has the future of humanity and the planet depended so much on our ability to understand that we live on a single planet, and that our survival is directly linked to the preservation and valorization of its natural resources. The social and economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on a global and unprecedented scale are a warning that ignoring the risks of breaking ecosystem stability brings devastating consequences, similar to what has been happening with the climate emergency.
The current situation in the Amazon rainforest, with increasing deforestation and destruction, goes against what the private sector believes and will leave Brazil even further away from achieving its climate goals and a fair and sustainable future. In addition to the negative perception of Brazil's image internationally, social and environmental issues in the Amazon are highly detrimental to the development of essential businesses and projects. Sustainable values must be disseminated and intrinsic to the actors and the way of doing business in the region.
The use of knowledge about ecosystems to understand their relationship with companies and society as a way of connecting opportunities to problem-solving in the region has been done by many initiatives and organizations.
In this event, CEBDS will bring together some of these actors to show how the business sector can and is supporting the Amazon, working under the values of the bioeconomy, through nature-based solutions, facing the challenges posed by climate change, loss of biodiversity and human rights.
Up-to-date event information including speaker lineup, registration and connection here.
CEBDS events with partners:
September 22nd
2pm to 4pm (Brasília time)
Event title: International launch of the “10 Business Principles for a Sustainable Amazon” Guide
Official event of Amazônia Possível, the result of a partnership between CEBDS, Instituto Arapyaú, Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition, Instituto Ethos, Rede Brasil do Pacto Global da ONU and Sistema B.
The Guide aims to be a guide for companies that wish to operate more sustainably in the Amazon region, and is ideally used to support the design of strategic planning and the exercise of prioritizing projects, so that they have more positive impacts at the end of the production chains.
Up-to-date event information including speaker lineup, registration and connection here.
September 23rd
10am to 12pm (Brasília time)
Event title: Green Recovery: Perspectives from Brazil
*Event in Portuguese and English
Event in partnership between CEBDS and the Climate and Society Institute (ICS).
Even before the pandemic, legislators around the world were already working on proposals for economic plans that take environmental issues into account, an effort that has been consolidated as the Green New Deal. The relevance of legislation and government plans that drive the climate agenda has become even more evident with the crisis imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The role of the business sector in accelerating plans for the low-carbon economy is also becoming increasingly evident.
How have these plans progressed and what are the global prospects for their implementation? Do the plans under discussion today meet the needs also imposed by the ongoing climate crisis? The event will present possibilities for implementing climate-focused Recovery Plans, considering the public and private sectors.
Up-to-date event information including speaker lineup, registration and connection here.
September 23rd
3pm to 5pm (Brasília time)
Event Title: Possible Amazon: Beef Traceability
*Event in English
Event of the Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition, with support from CEBDS
An economically viable, sustainable, and inclusive development model that preserves the standing forest in the Amazon region must propose the necessary protection to immediately prevent illegal activities, a sustainable development plan for the region, and guarantee the traceability of livestock farming, agriculture, mining, and forest products. Legality, economy, and traceability represent the pillars of development in the Amazon.
One of the priorities for making Amazônia Possível, an initiative launched at Climate Week NY 2019, a reality is for the beef value chain in the Amazon to be 100% traceable to prevent the consumption of these products from financing illegal activities in the forest. Today, 99% of deforestation is illegal and there is a desire from the conscientious productive sector not to get involved in these criminal activities.
Therefore, in order to find real solutions to the challenge of beef traceability in the Amazon, the Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition created a task force. At this event, representatives of this group will present a study that demonstrates what the beef value chain is and how it is in the country, highlights the traceability experiences already carried out, relates benchmarking with other countries and presents a set of recommendations to fill the current gaps in this activity. In addition, a debate will be held on the measures that Brazilian sectors (civil society organizations, government, academia and the private sector) are taking to try to advance this agenda.
Up-to-date event information including speaker lineup, registration and connection here.
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