The world has focused its attention on Brazil this year. Unfortunately not all of what we have learned is positive, but now, that the World Cup has begun the excitement of it all seems to be easing the strikes and other unrest. While the country, the “B” in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China), experienced a tremendous economic surge, the global economic turndown, plus certain political issues, have slowed the progress of the previous decade. This doesn’t mean that Brazil does not have a bright future, on the contrary, business will continue to be a shining star in this country as it looks towards the 2016 Summer Olympic Games and beyond.
The Conference Board just produced a report titled “Corporate Sustainability in Brazil.” “Brazil has solidified itself as one of the world’s leading emerging economies. With a Gross Domestic Product of US$2.24 trillion in 2013, Brazil ranks as the seventh wealthiest economy.” For CSR, Brazilian companies are much more transparent in their reporting than other emerging economies. They have worked hard to reduce greenhouse gasses by using renewable energy. Growth could be stimulated if more women were to enter the workforce as their percentage of working women is significantly less than most emerging markets. The economic rise, and with it a growing middle class, has caused greater income inequality.
In a week the World Cup will be over. Hopefully some of those stadiums built in far-flung locations will have some other use and the overall economic impact of the games will somehow justify their cost. Infrastructure projects will continue in the march towards the Olympics. The corruption and poverty needs to be addressed. But, with a population of 200 million people (largest in Latin America) , the home to the greatest biodiversity in the world, a vibrant people and businesses that seem to care about sustainability, this emerging market has the potential to solve many of its issues and truly be one of the world’s great countries.
http://www.conference-board.org/publications/publicationdetail.cfmpublicationid=2763