CEBDS brings to Rio de Janeiro Lord Deben (former president of the UK Climate Change Committee), Tim Mohin (CEO of the GHG Protocol), as well as André Corrêa do Lago and Ana Toni, from the COP30 presidency, and other leaders to discuss the new directions of global competitiveness before COP31 in Turkey; a letter to the presidential candidates, with proposals from the sector for the next government, is one of the highlights of the program.
With COP31 just months away and in the midst of the presidential election, the Brazilian business sector is gathering at Rio de Janeiro, August 26th, some of the leading international experts in climate and economics. to discuss what will define the country's competitiveness in the coming years — from water security to confidence as an economic asset, including a new agenda of proposals for the next government. This will be the The 14th edition of the Sustainable Congress, promoted by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), took place at the Jockey Club Brasileiro, the main event for the Brazilian business sector before COP31.
Among the guests are Lord Deben (John Gummer), former president of the UK Climate Change Committee, one of the three countries that invests the most in climate projects and policies in Brazil, and Tim Mohin, CEO of the GHG Protocol, an international standard widely used by governments and companies to measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions. The Congress will also feature Roberto Azevêdo, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO); Eduardo Giannetti, economist; André Correa do Lago, Ambassador and President of COP30; Ana Toni, CEO of COP30; Izabella Teixeira, former Minister of the Environment; and Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS and Special Envoy of the Business Sector to COP30, who will hold this diplomatic position until November of this year.
Throughout the day, participants will share strategies to highlight Brazil's role in reorganizing the global economy, as well as insights into the impacts of the climate crisis and deforestation on rainfall patterns and their effects on water security, energy generation, and food production. The program will also address trust as an economic asset and the role of transparency, measurement, and emissions reporting as pillars of business competitiveness and decarbonization.
According to Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS, the meeting helps guide the participation of the Brazilian business sector in COP31. “For more than two decades, the Sustainable Congress has brought together leaders to discuss the paths to sustainable development. In this edition, the pre-COP event for the business sector reinforces Brazil's leading role by bringing together some of the main international references in climate and sustainability,” she states.
Letter to Presidential Candidates, Brazil of Solutions and Women's Leadership Award
Among the program highlights is the presentation of the new Letter to Presidential Candidates, a document prepared by CEBDS with proposals to strengthen Brazilian competitiveness and guide a long-term development strategy for the country. Published in each election cycle since 2014, the initiative provides presidential candidates with an agenda built on the experience of the business sector in the transition to a more competitive, resilient, and low-carbon economy, contributing to broadening the debate on the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development in Brazil.
There will also be a panel on Brazil Solutions, a portfolio organized by CEBDS that brings together 135 business projects in areas such as bioeconomy, regenerative agriculture, resilient infrastructure, clean energy, and circular economy. Some of these cases are part of the Brazil Solutions Platform, created to connect them to investors, financial institutions, climate funds, and technical partners. The Congress will also host the awards ceremony for the 9th Women's Leadership Award, an initiative that recognizes women with outstanding performance in promoting sustainability and diversity in the business environment.
The event is sponsored by Equinor, Assaí, Banco do Brasil, Caixa, Vale, and Yara, and has the support of B3, Natura, Sicredi, Siicob, and Grupo Report. The event schedule is available on the event website. https://cebds.org/congresso-sustentavel/.
Programming under construction:
8am to 9am: Registration and welcome coffee
9:00 AM to 9:15 AM: Opening – Marina Grossi, President of CEBDS
9:15 am to 9:45 am: Keynote Speaker – Lord Deben, former chairman of the UK Climate Change Committee.
9:45 AM to 10:15 AM: Chat with Lord Deben
10:15 AM to 11:45 AM: Panel 1 | Geopolitics and Climate: Brazil's Place in the Reorganization of the World Economy | Participants: Eduardo Giannetti, economist; Roberto Azevêdo, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization; André Corrêa do Lago, President of COP30; and Marina Grossi, President of CEBDS and Special Envoy of the Business Sector to COP30.
11:45 AM to 12:30 PM: Panel 2 | Letter to Presidential Candidates: CEBDS's proposed agenda for 2026 | Participants: Marina de Paula, managing partner of Patri; Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS and Special Envoy of the Business Sector for COP30; and Solange Ribeiro, vice-president of Neoenergia.
The panel will present the 2026 edition of the CEBDS Letter to Presidential Candidates and discuss how dialogue between the business sector and policymakers can contribute to strengthening Brazil's competitiveness and sustainable development.
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM to 2:20 PM: Brazil Solutions Moment I Participants: Representatives from Equinor, Yara, and Vale
2:20 PM to 3:20 PM: Panel 3 | The water that moves Brazil: climate, energy and food | Participants: Juliano Assunção, executive director of the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI); André Guimarães, executive director of IPAM.
The debate will address the impacts of the climate crisis and deforestation on water availability, energy generation, and food production, highlighting water security as a strategic agenda for the country's competitiveness and development.
3:20 pm to 3:35 pm: Pocket Talk | Tim Mohin, CEO of GHG Protocol
The conversation will address how transparency, measurement, and reporting of emissions are becoming established pillars of competitiveness, risk management, and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
3:35 PM to 4:35 PM: Panel 4 | The Value of Trust: What Attracts Large Investments in an Age of Uncertainty?
The panel will discuss trust as an economic asset capable of driving long-term investments, exploring themes such as credibility, reputation, and commitment to the future.
4:35 PM to 4:50 PM: Brazil Solutions Moment
Banco do Brasil and Caixa Econômica Federal
4:50 PM to 5:20 PM: Ceremony for the 9th Annual Women's Leadership Award.
5:30 PM: Closing
Sustainable Congress Service CEBDS
DateAugust 26th – from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Local: Jockey Club Brasileiro I Praça Santos Dumont, 31 – Gávea, Rio de Janeiro
Free registration: https://cebds.org/congresso-sustentavel/
Press accreditation via the link.: https://forms.gle/9EZAesmUN927rY1bA
Press Office CEBDS – Approach Communication
cebds@approach.com.br
Adriane Constante – 21 97289-3956 I adriane.constante@approach.com.br
