Leading Brazilian companies and trade groups have joined the global outcry over surging wildfires in the Amazon as fears grow that the environmental crisis could hit business.
Many of the fires that have been ripping through swaths of the world’s largest rainforest are seasonal. But some are believed to have been started illegally by ranchers keen to clear land who analysts say have been emboldened since the election last year of President
Jair Bolsonaro, who wants to open the Amazon for commercial activity.
After initially blaming non-profit groups for starting the fires and sparring with French president Emmanuel Macron who claimed he had “lied” about Brazil’s environmental promises, Mr Bolsonaro ordered local governments in the afflicted regions to take emergency action and sent the army to battle the blaze.
The move, however, has done little to stem the tide of global discontent, with Brazilian businesses — many of which are at risk of boycott — joining the fray.
“There is no question this is a concern for the private sector,” said Gabriella Dorlhiac, head of policy at the International Chamber of Commerce in Brazil, which represents some of the country’s biggest companies. “There are a lot of good people in the private sector doing good work [on sustainability. But] that exempt us from saying nothing. The private sector wants to show it is doing its part and has sustainable practices.”
Many Brazilian businesses, particularly in the massive agribusiness sector, feel they are being unfairly tarred by the actions of illegal or unscrupulous actors operating in the sparsely populated and lightly monitored Amazon region.
