Business from different areas have come together in order to promote the construction of a low carbon economy in Brazil. The project is called Corporate Leaders for Climate Change (Empresas pelo Clima - EPC) and was developed by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, an important research institution. So far, nineteen companies are part of the initiative. Among them are the banks Banco do Brasil and Santander, Natura cosmetics, Abril publisher and telecom company TIM.
EPC will support policies and strategies for the control and reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG). Also, the coalition will influence the decisions of the business sector regarding the creation of legislation for making Brazil a low carbon economy. Part of EPCs strategy is to press the Brazilian government to commit to ambitious goals at the Copenhagen Conference of Parties (COP-16). Before COP-16, the coalition will give the next elected president of Brazil a consolidated proposal to develop low carbon economy in the country.
Susana Kahn, secretary of climate change to the Ministry of the Environment, was present at the launched event. She stressed the idea that climate change is a economical issue, and that business has to be part of the negotiations. The Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban), also declared its support to the coalition and to the transition to a low carbon economy.
The first report of the Brazilian GHG Protocol was presented during the event. The programme involves 27 companies that have measured and monitored their GHG emissions. They will make annual inventories of their emissions, with the objective of reducing them.
The Brazilian business sector has been showing its leadership and initiative on fighting climate change. In august, 22 companies signed the "Open Letter to Brazil on Climate Change", committing to reduce their emissions and demanding action from the government. Pão de Açúcar supermarket, paper company Aracruz and Vale from the mining sector are some of the firms that signed the document. Since then, more companies and associations, like the National Confederation of Industries (CNI), the Federation of Industries from São Paulo (Fiesp), the Federal Police and Bradesco, have actively pressured the government.

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