National councils linked to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) meet in Lisbon from October 14 to 17 to discuss sustainable development strategies for businesses. Among the main topics discussed are the need to preserve biodiversity and nature-based solutions.
CEBDS President Marina Grossi highlighted the challenges of containing biodiversity loss at a network meeting and that 2020 will be a crucial year for the issue. “You can combine preservation and production. Biodiversity is a factor in sustainable economic development and Brazil, as a megadiverse country, has great opportunities. The business sector in Brazil is leading the creation of an environment in which biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use are intrinsically linked to economic development,” she reinforced.
“Redefining Value” theme director Eva Zabey calls on the business sector to take action. “There is a real momentum around nature and it is palatable for the first time in decades. Let’s act.”
BCSD Portugal Secretary General João Wengorovius advocated the adoption of sustainable practices inspired by healthy ecosystems to address urgent challenges. “There is a growing interest in nature. Our companies are eager to understand how we can leverage nature-based solutions.”
Human Rights
In a session held to discuss human rights in companies, the Director of Technical Development at CEBDS, Ana Carolina Szklo, spoke about the translation of the CEO's Guide to Human Rights and the adhesion of Brazilian companies to the initiative.
“At CEBDS, we work with social impact and we decided to work with human rights with our Board of Leaders and the Guide fits perfectly. “We want companies to do more than they currently do on human rights.”
About the WBCSD Council Meeting
The Council Meeting is an annual gathering that brings together the WBCSD Global Network, an alliance of more than 60 CEO-led business organizations around the world, which includes around 5,000 companies that make a common commitment to promoting a business strategy oriented towards sustainable development in the countries and regions where they operate.
