Marina Grossi, president of CEBDS, participated in a virtual panel and spoke about the possibility of Brazil achieving its emissions reduction commitments by combating deforestation.
The debate on climate neutrality, deforestation and how states and companies relate to these issues in the Brazilian Amazon is urgent and gaining momentum in the country. A survey by the Climate and Society Institute (ICS) reveals that this agenda has entered Brazilian society in general, with 851% of respondents stating that environmental protection of the Amazon is one of the decisive factors in the 2022 elections.
A virtual panel at Climate Week in New York, which is hosting hundreds of events to debate the issue around the world between September 20 and 26, discussed the region's problems.
Given the strength that the climate emergency has given to Amazon issues, Brazil has the opportunity to contribute to the global debate at COP26, which will be held in November this year.
Marina Grossi, president of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) since 2010, participated in the online room and presented the challenges and advances of the private sector in Brazil.
“Deforestation is our elephant in the room, it represents 48% of our emissions profile, completely different from the rest of the world. Of this total, 98% is illegal deforestation. If we ended deforestation, we would respond to our NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution), which is the commitment we made in the Paris Agreement, we would contribute 80% of our NDC, until 2030. See that it is a problem that we can solve”, he pointed out.
One topic that is expected to be much discussed in Glasgow – where COP26 will be held – is nature-based solutions (To understand Nature-Based Solutions), according to Marina Grossi. According to a survey by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), nature-based solutions can represent 37% of the solutions for the thematic axes defined in the Paris Agreement.
“This is the time for us to show action. And Brazil is a much cleaner country than most. It is perhaps the only one in the world that can fulfill its NDC, net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, without new technologies, just fighting illegal deforestation and promoting low-carbon agriculture,” he said.
Marina Grossi also highlighted the fight for Brazil's insertion in the carbon market, a practical action that can generate conditions to advance climate agendas.
“Since 2017, we have been working with the Ministry of Economy to show that the carbon market can be implemented. The industrial sector is saying that it wants to be regulated for this market, that it wants to enter the game that already takes place in 25% around the world. This is an important point that did not advance through the ministry, but it ended up advancing in the legislature and today we have a PL (bill). CEBDS prepared, together with several institutions, a substitute for this PL, PL 528, signaling that we are in a different moment”, he explained.
Also participating in the panel were the Secretary of the Environment of Amazonas, Eduardo Taveira, who heads the Governors’ Task Force on Climate and Forests; the Secretary of the Environment of Mato Grosso, Mauren Lazzareti; the researcher and biologist Roberto Waak, representative of the Concertação Pela Amazônia initiative; the director of sustainability at Marfrig, Paulo Pianez; and the director of sustainability at Natura, Keyvan Macedo. The governors of the states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso and Pará, respectively Wilson Lima, Mauro Mendes and Helder Barbalho, also presented their efforts.
Watch the full panel here.
