What does Brazil need to grow? And, most importantly, to grow in a sustainable way that is in harmony with the global reality and the current and future needs of the population? Challenged by these questions, CEOs and senior executives from some of the most significant business groups operating in the country met in a Council of Leaders, willing to build an ongoing dialogue between the private sector, civil society and the government at all levels. The goal is to share a common vision of the future among different business segments and propose solutions to bottlenecks that currently hinder Brazil's competitiveness and sustainable development.

The Council of Leaders (CL) was formed in March 2015 as an instance of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), which brings together 70 large business groups responsible for generating 40% of the national GDP and 1 million direct jobs. The CL is composed of around 20 CEOs from these groups and operates based on “CEBDS Agenda – For a Sustainable Country”, a document with 22 proposals, developed by CEBDS and discussed with the main presidential candidates in 2014.

“This group has an elastic structure and is open to the participation of companies associated with CEBDS. The condition is that it be made up of leaders with strategic vision and decision-making power to define priorities,” explains CEBDS president Marina Grossi, an economist with an extensive background as a negotiator for Brazil at the Conference of the Parties (COP) between 1997 and 2001, and as coordinator of the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change between 2001 and 2003.

One of the functions of the CL is precisely to identify the most pressing issues for the productive sector and the current situation in the country. To preserve transparency and adherence to the interests of civil society, it provides for the participation of independent observers. This role is currently performed by scientist Suzana Kahn Ribeiro, professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and by executive Fabio Barbosa, member of the Board of Directors of Itaú Unibanco and former president of Grupo Abril and of the banks Santander and ABN Real.

The first fruits of the work of the Council of Leaders are two studies already in the final stages: “Renewable Energy Financing: Obstacles, Challenges and Opportunities” and “Efficient Energy Consumption: An Agenda for Brazil”. The official presentation of the full text of these documents will take place on May 5th, during an event at the Environmental Museum, located inside the Botanical Gardens, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). But Marina Grossi says that they advance in five aspects.

• Identify Brazil's potential for electrical energy conservation;
• Design energy conservation scenarios until 2030, based on the INDC electrical efficiency target (Brazil's commitments in the Paris Agreement) and simulation of the operation of the National Interconnected System (SIN);
• Detect the main barriers to taking advantage of the available conservation potential;
• Propose measures to overcome existing barriers and achieve the energy conservation levels established in the simulated scenarios;
• Assess the investment required to implement this agenda and the alternatives for raising funds;
• Map the factors that still inhibit investment in alternative renewable energy generation, such as small hydroelectric plants, wind and photovoltaic energy;
• List financial, regulatory and market solutions to reduce investment risks in alternative energy generation.

The documents prepared with the support of business leaders and civil society observers also contribute objective proposals for fulfilling the commitments made by Brazil last year during the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in Paris. “We are seeking solutions that combine economic progress with low carbon emissions. With the support of civil society and government, these proposals will gain scale to fill gaps in our voluntary commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (INDC), which is expected to be ratified on April 22, when the Paris Agreement will be officially opened for signature in a ceremony at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York (USA),” says Grossi.

Key moments of the CEBDS Leaders Council