On Monday (January 29th), Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor, Eduardo Paes, participated in the launch of Business20 (B20) Brazil, which kicks off the G20 agendas for 2024. The event was held at the headquarters of the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan), in the city center. The Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, and Commerce (MDIC), Geraldo Alckmin, also attended the event, as well as the presidents of BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Ricardo Alban, and Firjan, Eduardo Eugenio Gouvêa Vieira, along with CEOs of Brazilian and foreign companies.
“Rio de Janeiro proudly proclaims itself the capital of the G20. Be assured that everyone holding their meetings here in the city will have the full support of the City Hall, so that these discussions can inspire the changes we hope for in this G20. My appeal as a Brazilian is that we cannot miss this geopolitical opportunity once again given to Brazil. All political, economic, and social actors in all areas, without exception, will have their eyes on Brazil in this year of 2024,” said Mayor Eduardo Paes.
This was the first event on the engagement group agenda of the G20 – the group of the world’s 20 largest economies – and brought together around 600 participants from Brazil and other member countries, from various industry segments. The B20 in Brazil is organized by the CNI and aims to promote debate on topics related to global economic growth and business development. The group's decisions will be forwarded to the heads of state during the G20.
“Brazil is a key player in the three major global concerns: food security, energy security, and climate. In food security, we are the champion in producing animal and plant protein; in energy security, we have the cleanest energy in the world and can make a huge contribution to decarbonization; and on the climate issue, we have the Amazon Rainforest, the largest tropical forest in the world. Deforestation, which was a significant concern, has decreased by almost 50% in about a year,” said the Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, and Commerce, Geraldo Alckmin.
The B20 is comprised of about 900 business representatives from Brazil and abroad. The engagement group is divided into task forces and an action council, with the theme this year being “Inclusive Growth for a Sustainable Future.” Throughout the year, strategies will be discussed to promote inclusive social and economic development focused on innovation and productivity.
“We have never had as many opportunities as we do now to talk about Brazil and industry. We have a great opportunity to supply the world with our renewable energies, such as green hydrogen. We will decarbonize and leverage this to recover our manufacturing, add value, and create more quality jobs. No strong economy exists without a strong industry,” highlighted the president of CNI, Ricardo Alban.
**Protocol of Intentions Signed with Google During G20 in Brazil**
The city of Rio is beginning to capitalize on the opportunities generated by being the capital of the G20. The city hall signed a cooperation agreement with Google Brazil to develop joint actions in activities within the city during Brazil’s G20 presidency.
“We have been present in Brazil for over 18 years and want technology to increasingly be a lever for social, environmental, and economic development. Through collaboration with the Rio City Hall, we want to support the city in its digital transformation efforts in this year when the city will host the G20 meeting,” said Fábio Coelho, president of Google Brazil.
The thematic areas of common interest in the cooperation protocol are:
Digital transformation, inclusion, reducing inequality, and generating opportunities: digitalization of governments to advance technology and improve the quality of public policies in areas such as professional qualification, economic empowerment of women, diversity, and education;
Urban resilience, emergency support, urban planning, and sustainable development;
Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data protection, and cloud usage;
Technologies for health, human development, and combating hunger.
The cooperation does not involve the transfer of financial or human resources. The City Hall and Google Brazil will bear their own expenses for the execution of the partnerships. The management, monitoring, and evaluation of the implementation of the actions will be carried out by the International Relations Coordination of the Rio City Hall and Google’s Government Relations and Public Policy team in Brazil.
“Google participates in important G20 working groups worldwide. In Rio, we will work together on a series of events and technical partnerships. These are new opportunities for projects and investment in the city. Topics include the digitalization of the economy, addressing climate change, and reducing inequalities. Municipal innovation policies such as Maravalley and Technological Gyms (GETS) also benefit from this moment when Rio is the capital of the G20,” celebrated Lucas Padilha, coordinator of International Relations at Rio City Hall.
