Last Wednesday, 26th, in São Paulo, Aliança de Misericórdia, in partnership with the Floresta Urbana project, Grupo Comolatti and AYA Hub held the workshop “Conexões – Sustainable Future” with the purpose of connecting companies, CEOS and institutions for a dialogue of action with a focus on ESG, bringing together professionals from different areas, dedicated to social entrepreneurship and life transformation.

Our planet is asking for help, we have seen the catastrophic effects of climate change in Brazil and around the world, as recently as the floods that devastated cities in Rio Grande do Sul. Experts estimate that extreme adverse events will become an increasingly recurring reality and make It is urgent, actions to begin immediately with the exchange of experiences and actions of business leaders, governments and organized civil society.

At the opening, Bia Hauptmann, director of institutional relations at Aliança de Misericórdia, mentioned the importance of thinking and acting in favor of “be careful with our common home”, according to the Encyclical Laudato Si' written by Pope Francis, that is, the universe in which we live. He also thanked the connections made possible to discuss sustainability and social actions that Aliança de Misericórdia has carried out for more than 20 years, following the meeting with Jordão Resende from AYA Earth Parners and Floresta Urbana and the long-lasting partnership with Sérgio Comolatti, president of the Council of Comolatti Group.

The event held panels with the participation of businesspeople, executives, experts, as well as guests from different areas of activity.

Still at the opening of work, Jordan Resende of AYA Earth Partners explained that the initiative is the first and largest ecosystem dedicated to accelerating the regenerative economy and zero carbon in Brazil. He indicated that Brazil's green assets can benefit up to 40 million people and generate almost 10 million jobs, therefore, the decarbonization ecosystem focuses on 5 transitions: food and land use, sustainable finance, circular economy and materials, clean and renewable energy and forest regeneration and bioeconomy. He also presented the project “Urban Forest”, of which he is one of the founders and whose main focus is to prioritize people, economy, cities, environment. And, to that end, “extract the best environmental, social and economic result from our actions, including, with 2024-30 goals of planting up to 100,000 trees”, thein addition to connecting people, organizations committed to the environment and social actions.

Luana Paganini, executive director of AYA Partners Earth added that By 2030, Brazil could become the first major economy to achieve carbon neutrality and, at the same time, accelerate its economic growth and add 230 to 430 billion investments in the green economy. She presented the initiative of “Matarazzo City Project”, in the central region of São Paulo, close to Avenida Paulista, in a complex with an area of 200 thousand meters of greenery that brings together art, culture, diversity, the best lifestyle of the city. The project arose with the restoration of a century-old complex with 10 listed buildings on a 30.00 m2 plot located close to Avenida Paulista. The Umberto I Hospital and the Condessa Filomena Matarazzo Maternity House operated in this location, built in 1903 and 1943, respectively designed by Count Francisco Matarazzo. In 1993, the Hospital was deactivated, remained abandoned for 20 years and in 2007 it was acquired by businessman Alexandre Allard. Privileging and preserving historical memory, the development will also feature three contemporary architectural interventions and will house the Hotel Rosewood São Paulo, and will feature a first-world cultural center, a fashion megastore with more than 70 exclusive brands in Brazil and 34 points of gastronomy. He concluded by leaving a reflection on “how to come out on the other side and what initiatives will we take to influence this process”.

Panel “Challenges and opportunities in implementing ESG”.

When opening this panel, Luiz Carlos Cabrera, founder and CEO of LCabrera Consultoria Empresarial and member of the Advisory Board of Aliança de Misericórdia, through a video, thanked all participants for their presence and introduced the first panelist, Daniela Aiachi, director of sustainability at AMCHAM-Brasil for 24 years, highlighting that the institution does an excellent job in advocacy, governance and sustainability in its role of promoting trade between Brazil and the United States since 1919, bringing together 5,000 companies from more than 40 nationalities. Creator of ESG Trends Magazine, a vehicle that promotes sustainability education in a pedagogical way for companies, publicizing important actions in the social, environmental and governance areas. And he also called the founding partner and member of the advisory board of Famous Agricultural and the Covenant of Mercy, Luiz Roberto Barcelos, a citizen businessman with a strong religious background. He highlighted that his company based on the border between Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte has 9,000 employees during the harvest season, being one of the largest melon and watermelon exporting companies in the world. As president, he represents the National Irrigated Agriculture Network (RENAI), encouraging agribusiness as an economic activity of hope for the sustainable development of our country.  

Right away, Daniela Aiach, Director of Sustainability at AMCHAM-Brazil, responsible for the largest and best-known Sustainability Award in Brazil, the Eco Award, started the panel “Challenges and opportunities in implementing ESG”.

The executive highlighted that “sustainability is a journey, there will always be something better to be done” and in Brazil there are many solid cases that are not very widespread, but recognized in the Eco Award with practical results that could benefit many people and the planet. He also shared that this “green thinking” or more effective look at the environment and sustainability is not exactly new, but the global attention focused on the topic is. He reported that in 1968, the Club of Rome debated the future of the planet, with a view to addressing sustainable development, bringing together politicians, physicists, industrialists and scientists. It constituted the first group to discuss sustainability, the environment and limits of development, 44 years before the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the Rio+20. “They produced a study that indicated that the planet will not be able to withstand this unrestrained consumption in relation to the degradation of natural resources”, analyzes Daniela Aiach.

Already Luiz Roberto Barcelos considers the social aspect, the human being, among the 3 acronyms of ESG, to be the most important. He recalled a painful experience of the early loss of a daughter and how this gave a new meaning to his life and influenced his vision for business. The group he commands employs 9,000 people and is currently the largest melon exporter in the world, but at the beginning of it all, he encountered employees who, during their work day in the field, felt physically unwell. He discovered that many were suffering from malnutrition and hunger and with a simple gesture, he made all the difference in the lives of those people, by offering breakfast at the beginning of the journey. He built his life and business vision based on the biblical quote: “Everyone therefore who hears these my words and deeds, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat against that house, and it did not fall, because it was built on the rock.” (Matthew 7,24-25).

Panel “Promoting sustainable development”

Participants in this panel Ciro Marino, former executive president of ABIQUIM and former CEO of Tronox, preceded by Father Evandro Torlai, president and Father Isaac Madureira, social president of Aliança de Misericórdia.

Ciro Marino pointed out that the Brazilian industry is one of the most sustainable in the world with competitive advantages, due to its territorial extension and sea coast, potential consumer market, in addition, among other variables of use of natural gas in production, much more advantageous in relation to gasoline and coal, generation of 84% of renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro), as well as green nitrogen in an agricultural country. And among the 17 “Sustainable Development Goals” recommended by the United Nations to define public policies and social programs, in 15, sustainable chemistry will participate. And that Brazil brings together all the chemical elements of the periodic table in its constitution and what must be foreseen, planned and regulated is the form of extraction and use.

Right away, Father Evandro Torlai, president of the Alliance of Mercy, reiterated the institution's commitment to human beings, rescuing human dignity, education, environment, social actions. Founded by Father João Henrique and Father Antonello and Maria Paola, it fulfills the desire to support those most in need. 2025 will be the Jubilee year of the institution.

The priest highlighted that working with people marginalized by society, especially those living on the streets, generates an entire process of transformation in a virtuous cycle of social rescue. He explained that starting from evangelization actions on the street, the host has the opportunity to learn about the daily service at Casa Restaura-me in São Paulo, with food, bathing, multidisciplinary activities, then passing through a Triage House and, sequentially, at the Casa of Acolhida, restore your path and, if you have the desire to remain in the Community, live in an expected future in Cidade Rahamim, under construction in the municipality of Salto/SP.

Father Isaac Madureira, from the Alliance of Mercy presented the project of rahamim city, still under construction, stating that it is a “God’s dream, a place to transform man, give new meaning and transform the lives of those who need it most”, within a humanistic model, of ecological, social, educational, economic, spiritual and sporting sustainability. “It was not enough to think about a work, an initiative, we thought about a City, we received people undergoing treatment for drug addiction and extreme social vulnerability for their family reintegration, in society, but mainly, to reunite with their essence”, he stated.

“Cidade Rahamim” is aimed at families, small groups and people with special needs (elderly, children, people with disabilities and/or physical and/or psychological disorders), siblings who have been homeless and who, after a period recovery and treatment at the Aliança de Misericórdia Shelters, they will have a home to live in.

The final project of “Cidade Rahamim” will have 03 residential neighborhoods, 321 houses, 02 Reception houses, Central Dining Hall, Shopping Center, Industrial Area, Educational Village, Basic Health Unit, Amphitheater and Convention Center, Sports Complex, ecotourism structure , agroforestry, Renewable Energy Plant and Administrative Center. It will favor a community structure with educational and training centers, sports and leisure areas, cultural and professional workshops, production and income generation centers, spaces for meditation, retreat and prayer for permanent, temporary and visiting inhabitants.

A rahamim city There are some units ecological houses built, in addition to an administrative unit, kitchen, canteen, evangelization center and, in the construction phase scheduled for completion in 2026, the Casa Útero to welcome missionaries, friends, visitors who want to experience a community and spiritual experience.

To the ecological houses They were planned to bring together ecologically sustainable construction systems such as biodigesters and cisterns, in addition to the use of solar energy and a green roof. It combines different construction techniques such as ecological bricks, wattle and daub and rammed earth offering excellent thermo-acoustic insulation, a pleasant environment, fire resistance and durability.

Furthermore, the land of Cidade Rahamim faces water springs that are protected with the recovery of riparian forest and benefit the supply of the municipality of Salto/SP.

“We need to rescue our essence, when we talk about ecology we return to the essence, the ecological house, for example, made of clay. Regulates the temperature inside houses, God gave us a fantastic technology, clay. Men need to return to their essence, be touched by what God created for us, we need to renew, inside and outside”, concluded.

At the end of the workshop “Sustainable Future Connections”, Father Evandro, Father Isaac and Father Luiz Fábio blessed those present in gratitude.