Being a western democracy structured in a market economy, and being located close to the European and North American markets will help Brazil to benefit from the increasing search of other countries for energy and food security. But to guarantee this position, it is essential that the country also stands out as a green power that preserves environmental resources and advances in the transition to clean sources of energy.
These were the forecasts presented by the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, today (18) during the Global Carbon Market Congress – Decarbonization & Green Investments. The event, in which ministers, secretaries, businessmen and authorities participate, will continue until Friday (20) at the Museum of the Environment, located in the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro.
“Brazil is already a green, energy and food power. That chip fell to the world”, said the minister when opening his speech, in which he highlighted the relevance of this role in the relationship with other countries in a post-covid-19 pandemic context, followed by a war that altered global production chains. .
According to him, the pandemic made the world plunge into a digital economy. The war between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in “a much more urgent problem for Europeans: both the energy that was supplied by Russia and the grain that were supplied by Ukraine are lacking”, said the minister.
proximity and trust
Guedes added that this context showed the world the relevance of two “key concepts” reinforced by the US and Europe: the nearshore, which is the search for business with countries that are geographically close, in order to facilitate logistics; it’s the friendlyshoreconcept related to more reliable countries.
“What is the only platform of friends who are close? It’s from Brazil. That chip fell to other countries,” said Guedes. “We are close, from a logistical point of view, and at the same time we are reliable because we are a democracy with a market economy,” he added.
Also according to the minister, another factor that is sought by other economies is related to the environmental issue. For him, it is essential that the country advances in the transition to a more sustainable economy from an ecological point of view.
In this sense, Guedes highlighted that the country’s image has changed. The minister’s perception is based on conversations held with foreign authorities. “We were seen as a problem [do ponto de vista] climate change for the world, perceived as polluters. That has changed,” she said.
In these conversations, Guedes has reiterated the Brazilian intention of “taxing pollution, applying taxes to those who pollute; of stimulating innovations that use depollution technologies; and of rewards, via remuneration to those who preserve environmental resources”.
carbon credit
Concern with the issue of sustainability is also increasingly present in large economic and financial groups abroad, as stated by the president of the Central Bank, Roberto Campos Neto, who also participated in the Global Carbon Market Congress. According to him, Brazil has a lot to benefit from the carbon credit market.
In Campos Neto’s assessment, “sustainability, today, is equal to productivity”, he said shortly before classifying the carbon credit market as “ingenious”, as it allows each country to internalize the benefits of reducing its own carbon emissions. carbon.
“I hear a lot of people talking about a carbon tax. In some cases, I believe it is justifiable to think that a government that levies a tax and makes a logical allocation does good,” she said. “In 2008 [durante a crise financeira internacional], this market has shrunk in Europe. But today we see a completely different situation, after having had several climate impacts”.
Clean energy and agriculture
The BC president added that Brazil has stood out for its potential for clean energy and agriculture, and now for sustainable investments. “This is an issue of investment flow”, he summed up after recalling that the new geopolitical division resulting from the war in Europe also represents an opportunity for Brazil, “in which countries that produce inputs are sought to achieve balance”
In this process aimed at developing the carbon market, Campos Neto highlighted the need to create investment funds focused on governance policies for the environmental issue.
Congress
The Global Carbon Market Congress – Decarbonization & Green Investments started today and ends on Friday (20).
There will be 24 panels presented in four themed rooms, in addition to plenary sessions at the beginning of each day, totaling more than 100 speakers.
There will also be 120 cases success stories of green entrepreneurs in four mini-auditoriums.
