Progress reflects business interest in a new development model and best market practices, such as ESG policies
The Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) has just reached the milestone of 100 member companies. The number, reached on August 24, 2022, is a result of the relevance of the Council, which has become the main voice of the business sector on these issues, and of the growing interest of the private sector in relation to ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues.
In the last two years, the number of members has increased by 63%, rising from 61 companies in 2020 to the symbolic mark of 100. Together, CEBDS companies have a turnover that represents 47% of Brazil's GDP and generate 1.1 million jobs. The Council includes 7 of the 10 largest companies in terms of net revenue and 9 of the 10 largest companies in terms of profit in Brazil. The Council is represented by the main sectors of the economy, such as agribusiness, cosmetics, energy, finance, forestry, logistics, mining, oil & gas, petrochemicals, sanitation, transportation and retail.
For CEBDS, this movement reflects the interest of businesspeople in building a new development model, which in recent years has been associated with the acronym ESG (environmental, social and governance). Growth that is environmentally correct, socially fair and economically viable.
“This is an important milestone, proof that we are in a time of great transformation. Sustainability has become mainstream and companies are part of the solution for a new development model. We need to rethink economic growth, and this decade offers a window of opportunity for Brazil to become a leader in the transition to a green economy, capable of generating economic and social gains,” says Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS.
To serve these different groups and propose solutions that integrate all links in their production chains, the council has thematic chambers (CTs) on topics such as climate and energy, biodiversity, finance, water and social impact, in addition to working groups (GTs) focused on advocacy, food systems and the Amazon.
These groups carry out studies and events that promote training for members and the exchange of experiences, so that together they can think of solutions that benefit their businesses and contribute to the construction of a more sustainable and equitable society.
Furthermore, CTs and GTs are essential for building commitments and positions that reaffirm the leading role of business in the face of current needs. These commitments and positions often gain prominence in the media and generate concrete changes, as was the case with the “Businessmen for Climate” movement, taken to the UN Climate Conference held in Glasgow (COP 26) in November 2021, which contributed to Brazil committing to more ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Influencing public policies, by the way, is an important part of CEBDS's work, as it knows that many transformations depend on an environment with legal certainty.
In addition to constantly dialoguing with the Legislative and Executive branches, since the 2014 elections CEBDS has been preparing documents addressed to candidates for the Presidency of the Republic, with proposals from the business sector for the four-year term.
In this sense, one of the advances already achieved was the new Legal Framework for Sanitation, which encourages private investment to make basic sanitation universal in the country by 2033. And important advances are being made in the discussion on the creation of a regulated carbon market in Brazil, a CEBDS flagship since 2016.
25 years of vanguard
The results are the fruit of work that began in 1997, when a group of large companies founded the council, inspired by discussions that took place at Rio-92. The UN conference brought, for the first time, the recognition that civil society organizations and companies – until then seen as villains – needed to work together.
CEBDS was then created to lead an effort to help transform good intentions into practical actions. The creation and consolidation of the Council promoted a transformation in business – both internally, with the training of teams from each company, and through coordination with governments and civil society, helping to build public policies focused on a green agenda.
Since then, with the active participation of CEBDS and its associates, the vision of the role of the business sector has undergone a major transformation and today it is seen as a fundamental part of promoting sustainable development.
