Roberto Azev\u00eado, Global President of Ambipar (Photo: Kym Willer \/ Lide).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Global President of Operations at Ambipar and former Director-General of the WTO, he highlighted Brazil’s potential in this market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
247 \u2013 <\/strong>During the LIDE Brazil Conference Lisbon, Ambassador Roberto Azev\u00eado, current Global President of Operations at Ambipar and former Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), provided a pragmatic analysis of sustainability and the carbon credits market. In his presentation, Azev\u00eado stated, \u201cThe global demand for carbon credits will grow exponentially,\u201d emphasizing that Brazil has the potential to stand out in this scenario due to its natural advantages and clean energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Azev\u00eado began his speech by stressing that the transition to a green and circular economy is no longer an option but a necessity. \u201cSustainability is not an escapable narrative without foundation; it is a concrete reality already shaping policies and business practices,\u201d he said. He recalled that as early as 2011, while serving as Ambassador to the WTO, carbon border adjustments were being debated, although many at the time considered the idea unfeasible. \u201cI told everyone: this will happen. It’s a matter of time. And it did,\u201d he stated, referring to the adoption of policies taxing carbon emissions to equalize costs among countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With experience in major corporations such as Pepsico, Azev\u00eado shared how companies are adapting to new sustainability demands. He explained that net-zero emission targets often rely on carbon credits, whether internally (inset) or outside the production chain (offset). \u201cAchieving net-zero emissions without compensation mechanisms is virtually impossible for most companies and economic sectors,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Azev\u00eado highlighted Brazil’s role in this global scenario, emphasizing the country\u2019s clean electricity matrix, which can reach up to 90% renewable energy depending on weather conditions. \u201cThis is an aspiration that many developed countries will still have for years. We are already there,\u201d he said. Additionally, he pointed out the importance of biofuels and Brazil’s vast green areas. However, he warned: \u201cThese resources only have financial value if they are part of monitored and approved programs. A standing tree without registration in a carbon project has no economic value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Azev\u00eado underscored the importance of approving the law regulating the carbon market in Brazil, calling it \u201ca huge step in the right direction.\u201d He also mentioned the recent memorandum of understanding signed between Ambipar and the State of Par\u00e1 for the commercialization of carbon credits, reinforcing the need for projects that ensure quality, traceability, and credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among Ambipar’s innovations, he introduced Ambify, a green cryptocurrency developed to democratize the buying and selling of carbon credits. \u201cAmbify allows any individual or company to offset their emissions, even for smaller events. It is a transparent tool with blockchain data that ensures reliability and avoids double counting,\u201d he explained. Azev\u00eado emphasized that this technology brings the general public closer to combating climate change and promotes a more sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Concluding his speech, Azev\u00eado reflected on political cycles and their influence on environmental agendas but expressed confidence in the future of sustainability. \u201cThere may be noise and moments of turbulence, but the sustainability agenda is here to stay. The private sector and citizens have already embraced it, and this is irreversible,\u201d he concluded. Watch:<\/p>\n\n\n\nChallenges and Perspectives in the Carbon Market<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n