Between September 13 and 27, urgent issues for the planet will be discussed by some of the top global leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, which will be held at UN headquarters in New York. In the same period, also in New York, the UN Global Compact in Brazil will hold a series of meetings to discuss key issues for the country's sustainable future.

"Our intention is to take advantage of this neutral environment of the United Nations to show the world what is being done by our network and what concrete solutions we are proposing for the country," says Carlo Pereira, BRAZIL's CEO of the Global Compact – an institution created by the UN to call on companies from around the world to align their operations with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "In this way, we want to improve not only the image of our companies, but especially the reputation of the country abroad."

The week of events also serves to try to convince investors to capitalize on projects linked to SDGs (the UN's sustainable objectives). "Today, Brazil's reputation, especially with regard to the environment, is greatly damaged. And that gets in the way of companies a lot," pereira says. "We believe we can counter this by showing concrete private sector proposals to solve some of our biggest problems."

Bet on collaboration

The main event scheduled by the UN Global Compact in Brazil is the SDGs in Brazil, which will bring together national and international leaders on September 17, at UN headquarters in New York, to discuss topics such as climate justice, water distribution, gender equity, racial equity, living wage, mental health, food system, slums, finance and anti-corruption measures.

"These are themes based on the movements we are conducting here in Brazil, within the 2030 Agenda," pereira says. "By putting leaders and experts here and outside at the same table, we want to create a profound exchange of knowledge, keeping an eye on solutions that no one has ever imagined. In addition, we will stimulate collaborative projects between companies from different countries."

To this end, the Global Compact aims to bring at least 300 leaders to New York. Confirmed names include Luciano Huck, Celso Athayde (Favela Holding), Nina Silva (Black Money Movement), Viviane Martins (Falconi), Rafael Tello (Ambipar), Jacqueline Patterson (Chisholm Legacy Project), Martha and Richard Anker (Anker Research), Olajobi Makinwa (UN), Sanda Ojiambo (CEO of the Global Compact) and Vincent Doumeizel (vice president of Lloyd's Register), Cida Bento (CEERT), Ana Fontes (Entrepreneurial Women Network), Ann Rosenberg (Woods) and environmental scientist Joan Rose.

Launched in April of this year, the Ambition 2030 initiative aims to make the Brazilian private sector commit to clear goals for 2030, linked to seven axes: gender equality, access to water, the living wage, racial equity, decarbonization, transparency and anti-corruption, and mental health. In addition to guiding leaders, the Pact will monitor actions and collect results.

Indigenous festival

The creation of a fund for projects related to indigenous communities is the focus of the event The Future is Ancestral, which takes place on the night of September 16. At the meeting, indigenous companies, institutions, specialists and young people will discuss the launch of a movement to value forest peoples. Closing the meeting, DJ Alok will perform alongside indigenous artists such as Mapu Huni Kuî and the Yawanawa Group.

"The Global Compact is giving more and more voice to indigenous peoples. We understand that it is important to establish this dialogue, to give visibility to everything that is happening to the peoples of the forest", says Pereira. "We will also take this moment to propose actions for the Amazon, showing the power of the region."

Closing the activities, on the 22nd the Brazilian delegation of the Global Compact will participate in the Leaders on Purpose – CEO Summit, which will discuss the transformation of business within an economy of purpose. Confirmed attendances include Virgin's Richard Branson and Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever and vice president of the Global Compact. "On the Brazilian side, we will have lectures by four leaders, including Luciano Huck," pereira says.

Balance Sheet 2023

The next major Brazilian event is expected to take place in March 2023, when the UN Global Compact in Brazil will take stock of all movements and present a kind of "accountability" of the commitments made. "Since the launch of the 2030 Agenda, we have managed to get 250 companies to adhering to specific commitments," pereira says. "And we have 1,700 companies in our network. But we want so much more. We need hundreds of thousands to achieve the goals we are committed to. We hope that this meeting in New York will help to raise more awareness among leaders."

According to the CEO, some leaders fear that when they enter the Pact, their sustainability issues will be revealed to the market. "That's not how it works," he says. "It is true that we charge, we put a little knife in the neck, for the thing to walk. But we don't disclose specific issues for each corporation. What we will do is give individual feedback to each company, and report on the situation of the sectors in the country."

Source: Um só Planeta