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With COP30 set to take place in Belém later this year, our latest briefings from GBI and the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) offer timely reflections and forward-looking recommendations for companies operating in Brazil. The insights have been taken from a 2024 webinar series convened by GBI and CEBDS, which brought together business practitioners to explore how companies are linking climate action activities with their responsibility to respect human rights. The series focused on three themes: company climate action and human rights, worker welfare in the climate crisis, and the right to water and sanitation.
Across the sessions, speakers highlighted the importance of embedding human rights into climate transition strategies. For example, companies shared how environmental and social impacts from large-scale renewable energy projects and nature-based solutions must be carefully managed, particularly in areas where Indigenous and traditional communities are affected.
Businesses also shared pioneering approaches to integrating human rights into climate adaptation. These included developing climate vulnerability indexes for Indigenous populations, linking environmental and human rights impact assessments, and applying frameworks like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to climate adaptation plans. Worker welfare emerged as a critical area for company action. The impacts of extreme heat, changing job roles, and exposure to climate-related hazards all pose risks to Brazil’s sizeable workforce, particularly in agriculture. The series also addressed the growing pressure on access to water and sanitation - basic human rights under increasing strain due to climate disruption.
The experiences shared by companies in these sessions clearly demonstrate that climate strategies which overlook human rights risk missing critical dimensions of sustainability and resilience. Companies should be looking to engage across departments, ensure inclusive and meaningful stakeholder engagement, and take a rights-based approach to climate mitigation and adaptation.
Access the briefings in English and Portuguese
Access more information about GBI and CEBDS workshops in Brazil.