The morning began with opening remarks by Loana von Gaevernitz Lima, Deputy Executive Director of AHK Rio, with an introduction on the relevance of the event. She was followed by Katrin Harvey, Secretary General of F20, who highlighted the importance of collaboration across all sectors to achieve sustainability, emphasizing that the union of efforts is key to reaching both global and local climate goals.
Dr. Andrew Forrest, Founder and CEO of Fortescue, made a contribution to the event and shared his vision on the future of energy. In conversation with AHK Rio, he emphasized the importance of community-driven energy solutions:
“By informing communities that the energy transition is here, they can make a choice now of what energy to use, if they choose to use a local energy, a homemade energy. That is the remunerable energy, we will have an energy justice and community future.”
Following Dr. Forrest’s contribution, Raisa Cole, from Democracy Works Foundation, and Victoria Santos, from Instituto Clima e Sociedade, presented the main ideas of the report. The document explored strategies for financing the energy transition, ensuring that local communities are empowered in the process. The presentation led to the formation of breakout groups, where participants addressed topics such as de-risking and localizing climate finance, developing skilled labor for sustainability roles, and strengthening urban energy resilience.
The event concluded with final remarks from Katrin (F20), who reflected on the results of the event and the way forward. It became clear that a just energy transition requires collaboration, investment in local solutions, and a commitment to equity and inclusion:
"Sustainability is not a competition. It’s a collaboration. And that’s the only way to achieve a world that leaves no one behind and that can protect the climate we have, the biodiversity. So, it’s very important that we open doors, that we talk to each other, that we have these conversations, and that we reach out and strategize together."
Svenja Ahlburg, Vice-President at AHK Rio and Chief Sales Officer Americas at Wilo Group, also shared her thoughts on the global impact of F20 initiatives, mentioning the organization’s commitment:
"The WILO Foundation has been part of the F20 platform for a long time. Through this platform, Wilo supports several philanthropic projects globally. One of these projects was in Rio de Janeiro last year, which we supported along with F20, and where AHK Rio was also involved."
This event was an important step in advancing global and local discussions on just energy transition. The conversations held at the event set the stage for future actions, with the aim of ensuring that the transition to clean energy is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable for all.