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In partnership with the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), GBI has launched a new podcast exploring what meaningful stakeholder engagement looks like in practice when companies address climate change in Brazil.
The episode brings together Sophia Areias (GBI Director), Clara Serva (Partner, TozziniFreire Advogados and GBI Regional Advisor for Latin America), and Maria Rufino (Technical Analyst, CEBDS) to share insights from GBI’s ongoing webinar series ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
“Brazil is right at the centre of the global sustainability debate,” noted Maria Rufino. “Corporate climate action here is often advanced on technical and financial fronts, but the social and human rights dimensions are still catching up. This series creates space for dialogue that includes civil society, Indigenous leaders and research institutions - because meaningful engagement simply can’t happen in isolation.”
Clara Serva underlined the challenges and opportunities of engaging inclusively in Brazil’s diverse context: “When we speak about transnational corporations, we must remember that Brazil is a continental country with multiple cultures, high inequality, and hundreds of Indigenous languages. Connectivity, education, and lack of clear FPIC regulation are real barriers. Yet COP30 presents a chance to make this the most democratic climate dialogue we’ve seen.”
Sophia Areias reflected on the global lessons emerging from the discussions: “Meaningful stakeholder engagement is part of human rights due diligence, and climate action itself should be treated as a business activity that requires it. Companies that engage early and build feedback loops with communities are finding their projects advance more smoothly and sustainably.”
Together, the speakers highlighted a shift in mindset - seeing engagement not as a procedural step, but as a strategic enabler of human rights, trust, and a just transition.
The podcast is available below and on SoundCloud and Apple Podcasts.