On April 6th, the Sustainable Finance and ESG Investment Impact Community held their first virtual debate, Biodiversity – Assessing the Financial Links to Natural Capital. This virtual debate was designed to convene dueling perspectives on the financial implications associated with nature and the preservation of biodiversity, specifically focused on the Amazon biome and other ecosystems. Here we heard from leading academic perspectives as we dived deeper into the risk associated with nature and the preservation of biodiversity. Our goal with this initiative was to tackle the common issues associated with deforestation to support sustainable and economic development in the global transition towards sustainable production. We invited topic experts and academia from around the world and was joined by over 50 participants ranging from over 15 countries.
We’d like to give a special thanks to Viviane Torinelli, one of the three leads of this Sustainable Finance & ESG Investment Impact Community, as well as Daniel Parreiras, Program Director for Internationalization at Fundação Dom Cabral as well as our three panelists, Marcello Brito, Danielle Carreira and Dr. Vian Sharif. Their shared combination of expertise created a space for individuals with similar passions to set the stage for a thought provoking dialogue. Thank you for your time, commitment and enthusiasm.
Featuring
-
Viviane Torinelli
Co-Founder Brazilian Alliance of Sustainable Finance and Investments (BRASFI)
Guest Professor FDC for Sustainable Finance and Investment
Brazil
-
Marcello Brito
Ex-President, Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG) and Co-Facilitator at the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forest and Agriculture
Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG)
Brazil
-
Danielle Carreira
Head of Finance Sector Engagement
Tropical Forest Alliance at World Economic Forum
United Kingdom
-
Dr. Vian Sharif
Group Head of Sustainability
FNZ Group
United Kingdom
Debate Synopsis
“Biodiversity – Assessing the the Financial Links to Natural Capital” joined by Marcello Brito, Danielle Carriera and Dr. Vian Sharif moderated by Viviane Torinelli.
The discussion was around the topics of:
- Addressing risks and opportunities for agribusiness, with an emphasis on financial implications associated with nature and the preservation of biodiversity in the Amazon biome and other ecosystems.
- Financial investors worldwide towards deforestation
- Business models trying to achieve a net zero in deforestation
Following the dialogue between the three speakers, we had break out discussions. These break out groups consisted of individuals following the prompt of 2 themes:
- Connecting to Business Education – What can business schools do? How to connect to curriculum.
- Looking Ahead – What is a key takeaway for you from today’s discussion? What are you left wanting to know/understand (related to biodiversity, agrobusiness, and sustainable finance and business education)?
After a 20 minute discussion, break out groups reconvened and talked about their findings and shared ideas.
During our breakout discussions, participants had the opportunity to drop comments and questions they had throughout the session.
For those interested in continuing the conversation, we’ve created a LinkedIn group to serve as a space to continue discussions. Please be sure to join this newly created LinkedIn group.
Sustainable Finance and ESG Investment Impact Community
The GBSN for Sustainable Finance & ESG Investment IMPACT Community serves as a forum for taking Sustainable Finance to the next level. The goals of this Impact Community are to improve the perception and the management of risks and opportunities associated with ESG factors, contribute to unlocking sustainable financial flows and positively impact the societies in the developing world, and making local businesses more perennial and sustainable. With the GBSN mission in mind, this Impact Community aims to increase awareness and support from a North to South perspective and to increase cooperation from a South to South perspective.
Next Steps for the Community
This year, the Sustainable Finance & ESG Investments Impact Community will continue to focus on Risks and Opportunities for the Global Food Chain. We’ll build our collective understanding of the role of global finance and investment in supporting risk mitigation, adaptation, and new opportunities for the agribusiness sector. We’ll explore, and ultimately co-create, educational tools and ideas for business schools seeking to incorporate these concepts meaningfully into their programming. Stay tuned for future communications regarding our next GBSN for Sustainable Finance & ESG Investments event.