Environment
In all countries, it is extremely difficult to sustain a suitable environment for people to live in. It involves making decisions and taking action to preserve earth to support human life. Businesses also have to be plan ahead and it is a must for them to look at the impact they have on the earth in the long run.
In Brazil, which is a country with a rising economy, the country focuses more on economic development rather than the environmental stability. The booming economy is affecting the environment negatively, and this can be seen from the fact that Brazil has the world’s highest rate of deforestation and this causes pollution which in turn affects the country’s drinking supply. Below are some of the actions that helps boost the economy but on the other hand, harm the environment.
In Brazil, which is a country with a rising economy, the country focuses more on economic development rather than the environmental stability. The booming economy is affecting the environment negatively, and this can be seen from the fact that Brazil has the world’s highest rate of deforestation and this causes pollution which in turn affects the country’s drinking supply. Below are some of the actions that helps boost the economy but on the other hand, harm the environment.
Brazil has vast reserves of natural resources. It has deep ports that aid in exportation of resources such as oil, minerals and agricultural products. This plays a major role in Brazil’s thriving economy since it acts as a stable foundation for continuous development.
Agriculture - In Brazil, agriculture contributes greatly to these resources. The environment in Brazil is conducive to many agricultural products – suitable climate, no natural disasters. However, floods and droughts do occur often.
Oil – Since the 1990s, Brazil has been producing almost two–thirds of there energy needs through offshore petroleum wells and hydroelectric plants. Brazil has made an investment of over $174 billion over the next five years for the development of new oil reserves that will aid in the future economic development of the country. Other than that, the lack of refineries for crude oil produced has spiked determination to expand domestic refining capabilities, so that they will not be too reliant on imports.
Energy Resources – As of now, hydroelectric power is the main source of Brazil’s energy. In the future, it is expected that nuclear energy will produce a significant amount of energy for Brazil. However, coal and gases are not often used to produce energy, though domestic steel manufacturers mostly use coal.
Sugar and Ethanol – Sugarcanes are very efficient, as a renewable source of energy. Leftovers of sugarcanes are even burned to produce energy for local electricity grids. Brazil offers ethanol at almost all of its gas stations.
Agriculture - In Brazil, agriculture contributes greatly to these resources. The environment in Brazil is conducive to many agricultural products – suitable climate, no natural disasters. However, floods and droughts do occur often.
Oil – Since the 1990s, Brazil has been producing almost two–thirds of there energy needs through offshore petroleum wells and hydroelectric plants. Brazil has made an investment of over $174 billion over the next five years for the development of new oil reserves that will aid in the future economic development of the country. Other than that, the lack of refineries for crude oil produced has spiked determination to expand domestic refining capabilities, so that they will not be too reliant on imports.
Energy Resources – As of now, hydroelectric power is the main source of Brazil’s energy. In the future, it is expected that nuclear energy will produce a significant amount of energy for Brazil. However, coal and gases are not often used to produce energy, though domestic steel manufacturers mostly use coal.
Sugar and Ethanol – Sugarcanes are very efficient, as a renewable source of energy. Leftovers of sugarcanes are even burned to produce energy for local electricity grids. Brazil offers ethanol at almost all of its gas stations.
Actions Taken To Save The Environment
Today, Brazil has the highest rate of deforestation worldwide and this causes pollution, threatening the country’s drinking supply. Even with a decrease in national greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture emissions and energy demand are still rising. This double-edged sword begs an important debate to whether Brazil, home to several biodiversity hotspots and the largest rainforest in the world, should choose between economic growth or environmental sustainability. Few leading companies think not and they are starting to show evidence that Brazil’s business sector can be both sustainable and profitable.
New Partnerships
For the past year, eight multinationals have collaborated under the Brazilian Business and Ecosystem Services (PESE), to explore how the businesses impacts and depends on the environment and ecosystem, using a tool called the Corporate Ecosystem Service Review (ESR). The business members of PESE are joined by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), the Center for Sustainability Studies at Getúlio Vargas Foundation (GVces), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Business vs. Nature
For example, agriculture. It is a leading driver of deforestation in Brazil, that resulted in the loss of the forest ecosystem services - climate and water regulation. This in turn, threatens the country’s supply of agricultural products, the foundation that boosts their economy. Companies face operational and reputation risks as a result of these changes in the environment.
To identify and control these environment-related risks, companies in PESE are Companies in PESE are already taking action. The Andre Maggi Group, one of Brazil’s largest soy players, is using the ESR to secure a sustainable wood biomass fuel supply to power their Amazon-based operations. The company’s teams are joining forces to develop a more resilient and economical biomass procurement strategy for the region.
Walmart is tackling the environmental challenges associated with its supply of beef. Since cattle ranches occupy more than 70% of the deforested Amazon region, Walmart has targeted to achieve a beef supply chain with zero deforestation by 2015.
Change in Mindsets Shifting the mindset from minimizing impacts to maximizing benefitsMitigating environmental risks is not just good enough, companies have to change mindsets from minimizing the impacts, to maximizing the benefits.
For example, production of palm oil is commonly associated with the deforestation of tropical rainforests, causing serious impacts on the environment especially in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. To seek greater sustainability in Brazil’s cosmetics supply chain, Natura’s Bioagriculture Research Program has surveyed organic production of palm oil, composed of several native and commercially viable plants grown in the same production unit. They are identifying ways to create positive environmental and social impacts from agroforestry palm oil in the Brazilian Amazon, by improving the security of food from farmers, conserving natural resources and producing more sustainable raw materials.
Mining companies Anglo American and Votorantim have also integrated ecosystems into the environmental impact assessment, to understand the negative impacts of mining, such as emission of greenhouse gases, and the cost of mining.
Overall, PESE is taking initiative to prove that environmental conservation is good for business. When more companies see the connection between sustainability and strong growth, it can create a great change in Brazil’s Business sector, and its ecosystem.
Today, Brazil has the highest rate of deforestation worldwide and this causes pollution, threatening the country’s drinking supply. Even with a decrease in national greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture emissions and energy demand are still rising. This double-edged sword begs an important debate to whether Brazil, home to several biodiversity hotspots and the largest rainforest in the world, should choose between economic growth or environmental sustainability. Few leading companies think not and they are starting to show evidence that Brazil’s business sector can be both sustainable and profitable.
New Partnerships
For the past year, eight multinationals have collaborated under the Brazilian Business and Ecosystem Services (PESE), to explore how the businesses impacts and depends on the environment and ecosystem, using a tool called the Corporate Ecosystem Service Review (ESR). The business members of PESE are joined by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), the Center for Sustainability Studies at Getúlio Vargas Foundation (GVces), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Business vs. Nature
For example, agriculture. It is a leading driver of deforestation in Brazil, that resulted in the loss of the forest ecosystem services - climate and water regulation. This in turn, threatens the country’s supply of agricultural products, the foundation that boosts their economy. Companies face operational and reputation risks as a result of these changes in the environment.
To identify and control these environment-related risks, companies in PESE are Companies in PESE are already taking action. The Andre Maggi Group, one of Brazil’s largest soy players, is using the ESR to secure a sustainable wood biomass fuel supply to power their Amazon-based operations. The company’s teams are joining forces to develop a more resilient and economical biomass procurement strategy for the region.
Walmart is tackling the environmental challenges associated with its supply of beef. Since cattle ranches occupy more than 70% of the deforested Amazon region, Walmart has targeted to achieve a beef supply chain with zero deforestation by 2015.
Change in Mindsets Shifting the mindset from minimizing impacts to maximizing benefitsMitigating environmental risks is not just good enough, companies have to change mindsets from minimizing the impacts, to maximizing the benefits.
For example, production of palm oil is commonly associated with the deforestation of tropical rainforests, causing serious impacts on the environment especially in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. To seek greater sustainability in Brazil’s cosmetics supply chain, Natura’s Bioagriculture Research Program has surveyed organic production of palm oil, composed of several native and commercially viable plants grown in the same production unit. They are identifying ways to create positive environmental and social impacts from agroforestry palm oil in the Brazilian Amazon, by improving the security of food from farmers, conserving natural resources and producing more sustainable raw materials.
Mining companies Anglo American and Votorantim have also integrated ecosystems into the environmental impact assessment, to understand the negative impacts of mining, such as emission of greenhouse gases, and the cost of mining.
Overall, PESE is taking initiative to prove that environmental conservation is good for business. When more companies see the connection between sustainability and strong growth, it can create a great change in Brazil’s Business sector, and its ecosystem.
Overfishing
One of the largest factors to this problem is overfishing. This is a serious matter that is destroying Brazil’s seafood resource, especially country’s sardines catch, which is part of a staple diet in Brazil coastal areas. For example, 100,000 tons of fish were unloaded in Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. This causes destruction to 80% of marine species in Brazil. Warnings have been issued to the fishing industry, but fish yielding in excess is still common. Sardine stocks were even at risk in 1990s but a conservation program restored the numbers, only to be depleted again. This spurred officials to speed up plans for conservation of sardines, by implementing two bans on fishing each year: mid June to end July & November to February. The first ban was to help restore numbers of sardines to safe levels of the biomass, while the second ban was to help facilitate sardines to develop to an ideal catch size.
This is also linked to the Amazon Rainforest. With overfishing, effectiveness of seed dispersal by fishes have been reduced greatly. This happens when the fishes feed on falling fruit during flood season and after the flood season when water recedes, the seeds are dispersed on the ground. For example, the tucum palm relies almost entirely on pacu for seed dispersal.
One of the largest factors to this problem is overfishing. This is a serious matter that is destroying Brazil’s seafood resource, especially country’s sardines catch, which is part of a staple diet in Brazil coastal areas. For example, 100,000 tons of fish were unloaded in Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. This causes destruction to 80% of marine species in Brazil. Warnings have been issued to the fishing industry, but fish yielding in excess is still common. Sardine stocks were even at risk in 1990s but a conservation program restored the numbers, only to be depleted again. This spurred officials to speed up plans for conservation of sardines, by implementing two bans on fishing each year: mid June to end July & November to February. The first ban was to help restore numbers of sardines to safe levels of the biomass, while the second ban was to help facilitate sardines to develop to an ideal catch size.
This is also linked to the Amazon Rainforest. With overfishing, effectiveness of seed dispersal by fishes have been reduced greatly. This happens when the fishes feed on falling fruit during flood season and after the flood season when water recedes, the seeds are dispersed on the ground. For example, the tucum palm relies almost entirely on pacu for seed dispersal.