‘Brazil discusses sustainability without doing the math,’ says carbon credit expert

Photo: CEO of Biofílica Ambipar, Plínio Ribeiro Photo: Max Felipe/ Ambipar.

Plínio Ribeiro states that the country needs to start viewing environmental issues as business opportunities

Although the sustainability agenda is prominent and a topic in both the public and private sectors, Brazil has yet to measure the necessary amount of investment to implement its plans and therefore still associates resources for the area with costs. This assessment comes from Plínio Ribeiro, CEO of Biofílica Ambipar.

“Brazil discusses sustainability without doing the math. Sometimes, we only discuss deforestation rates. That’s it. We need to do the math,” stated the carbon credit expert during the launch of a reforestation project conducted by the Brazilian company from the Ambipar Group, specialized in developing carbon credits in partnership with the government of São Paulo state, AstraZeneca, and the Institute for Ecological Research (IPÊ) on Thursday, July 6.

According to him, besides taking a more analytical approach, it is also necessary to view environmental issues as business opportunities. “Carbon, at the end of the day, is a cost for the industry that needs to be internalized. When we do the math, we realize that a significant portion of this revenue is more of a business opportunity than a cost,” said Ribeiro.

Plínio Ribeiro, CEO of Biofílica Ambipar. Photo: Max Felipe/ Ambipar

The CEO of Biofílica Ambipar argues that although the country needs to develop in this aspect, Brazil’s sustainability and ESG agenda have made significant progress in recent years. “In the past, when I went to companies to talk about offsetting, I spent half the time explaining what climate change was. Today, we discuss the solution.”

In addition to a generational shift, which he believes already comes “loaded with solutions,” he affirms that Brazil is currently going through an important moment by witnessing strong government involvement in projects for the first time, rather than solely relying on private initiatives to propose solutions. “No one accepts deforestation anymore.” Read more

‘Deforestation is embedded in Brazil’s growth model,’ says World Bank economist

Brazil needs to move away from the narrative of environmental tragedy and stop asking for money, says former minister

Carbon market: 53% of companies in Brazil are considered ‘novices’ on the subject

This change in attitude is also noted by São Paulo’s vice-governor, Felicio Ramuth, who emphasized that sustainability projects can only succeed with private sector investment and with the state acting as a facilitator.

Olavo Corrêa, General Director of AstraZeneca Brazil, and Eduardo Ditt, Executive Director of IPÊ, share the same opinion, highlighting that the project demonstrates the need for joint action by all three sectors—government, private industry, and nonprofit organizations. “It is essential to move forward with sustainability projects,” stated Ditt.

The project conceived by AstraZeneca, in partnership with the mentioned companies, involves an investment of over R$ 350 million and the planting of 12 million trees in Pontal do Paranapanema, the far west of São Paulo state, equivalent to 38 Ibirapuera Parks.

• Click here to read the full article on Estadão.