CEBDS president Marina Grossi mediated the event “Business Climate Leadership in Brazil” on the afternoon of Monday, November 8th, which discussed the importance of private sector engagement in the climate agenda and coordination between companies to ensure that this action is broad and effective.
The meeting was attended by Peter Bakker, CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Sophie Punte, Managing Director of Policy at the international organization We Mean Business Coalition; and Andrea Álvares, VP of Brand, Innovation, International and Sustainability at Natura.
Marina opened the meeting by highlighting that the Brazilian private sector’s commitment to climate change has been increasing every year, as exemplified by the signing of the “Entrepreneurs for Climate” manifesto by more than 100 large companies. They positioned themselves in favor of Brazil’s leading role in this new global reality of climate economy, through the green recovery of the economy and the construction of a better environmental, social and economic legacy.
“People want action and they expect more from their government leaders, but also from companies. This is the first “how to” COP, in other words, where we are discussing what can actually be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we have seen broad participation from the private sector in these discussions,” added Peter. “The fact that we have so many CEOs and business people in Glasgow shows that we are not just making promises, but we want to take concrete actions to contribute to the global climate agenda. In the Brazilian case, we have nature-based solutions as initiatives that can start making a difference now. And CEBDS plays an important role in connecting these businesspeople and also in strengthening networks so that they can learn from examples from other countries,” added the CEO of WBCSD.
Sophie Punte emphasized that one of the fundamental points for the private sector’s contribution is the establishment of clear rules on how this action should take place. “We have as an example the regulation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, on international cooperation for the fulfillment of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the regulation of a carbon market and investment in projects that contribute to reducing global emissions. Companies want to invest, but they need governments to establish clear rules for this. However, for the public sector to determine these rules, it needs to take into account not only the interests of companies, but also those of society and all issues beyond the climate that affect people’s lives, such as inequality,” she highlighted.
According to Andrea Álvares, the importance of these associations is to expand the possibility of creating collective goals and actions. “The public sector is trying to understand what the next steps are, but the private sector has already understood the importance of changing its business models,” she explained. “I think one of the main aspects of this COP is that we are integrating nature with the discussion on climate. These two dimensions are intrinsically integrated. Biodiversity conservation and reforestation of degraded areas are fundamental to achieving climate ambitions. In the case of Natura, we have been operating in the Amazon for about 20 years and have already seen both the destructive power of deforestation and the incredible creative power of alternative solutions to keep the forest standing, with interactions that are truly resilient and sustainable and that create value for those who live there,” she added. “Another thing that people are realizing is the connection between social and climate justice. These two aspects are completely interdependent.”
