Continuing the thematic discussions between Municipal Secretaries of the Environment from the 27 Brazilian state capitals, the CB27 Forum held the II Virtual Dialogue last Tuesday (July 28).

The meeting was attended by the Secretary for the Environment, Agriculture, Conservation and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), Ursula Heinen-Esser, who presented... Inspiring practices in environmental management and in addressing the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Secretary shared the main challenges faced by the State and the solutions found to overcome them.

Heinen-Esser pointed out that the drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that Germany is currently experiencing, due to the drop in pedestrian and vehicular traffic and the shutdown of industries, has been very costly and unsustainable, since the price paid for it was the worst German recession since the Second World War.

“The threat to life brought other challenges. Environmental issues, such as the defense of biodiversity and the climate, took a back seat,” he observed.“"Right now, we are revisiting this topic, and there is an intense debate about how much these two issues are related to the pandemic."”

The Secretary reaffirmed the commitment made under the Green New Deal, which establishes a roadmap for the European Union to become more sustainable, aiming for emissions neutrality by 2050. Together with the Climate Defense Act, the package serves as a benchmark for economic recovery in Germany, seizing the great opportunity to reconcile economics with ecology.

“"We have a great opportunity to reconcile the economy with the environment," he stated. As an example, he cited a pioneering movement in the automotive industry, in which the federal government adopts tax incentives only for electric vehicles."For the German states, it is very clear that economic recovery must be done in a sustainable way," the Secretary emphasized.

The Secretary of Rio de Janeiro and National Coordinator of CB27, Bernardo Egas, highlighted that the Brazilian capital is a sister city to Cologne, one of the largest in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, a partnership that has already enabled a composting and tree pruning project financed by the German city. He also drew attention to the role of local governments in post-crisis reconstruction, urging them to have a more active role and maintain contact with governments that are further ahead on this issue.

Rodrigo Perpétuo, executive secretary of ICLEI South America, pointed out that the health crisis imposed by Covid-19 directly affects the dynamics of cities, which reinforces the importance of environmental management for preserving quality of life and well-being. Areas such as urban mobility, consumption, air quality, and business licensing have been impacted and will have to be rethought.

In their view, in this scenario the CB27 Forum is an even more strategic mechanism to strengthen the exchange of experiences and best practices among Brazilian capitals, enabling multi-level cooperation.

When discussing the topic of green finance, commonly debated by the CB27 Forum, Heinen-Esser shared that the State of North Rhine-Westphalia uses direct incentives for individuals and companies at various tax levels. Citizens who purchase a sustainable car will pay less tax, for example. Companies with financial needs receive credit and incentives to amortize debt if they adopt sustainability policies. 

In line with the CB27 Forum's agenda for 2020, the German Secretary shared that the reduction of biodiversity is a central problem and issue for environmental management in her region. 

“In the last 15 years, there has been a drastic reduction in the number of insects, for example. There are fewer species in our state nowadays,” lamented Heinen-Esser.

Therefore, a strategy was designed for the conservation of local biodiversity. Some actions include controlling the use of pesticides in green areas and developing green roofs in industrial areas, which help to reduce temperatures, as well as policies to reduce the use and occupation of green areas.

The meeting was promoted by the CB27 Forum in partnership with ICLEI South America and... Konrad Adenauer Foundation Brazil.

Watch the full recording of the II Dialogue between Secretaries of the Environment of Brazilian Capitals at [link to video]. ICLEI South America YouTube channel: