A balance of the achievement of the goals set in the Strategy (Preserve, Conserve, and Include) of the state of Mato Grosso was presented during the online event held on 24 March, with the participation of the State Department of the Environment (Sema-MT), Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV), Amaggi, and PCI Institute.
The Balance of Goals presents the results of the monitoring indicators related to the 21 goals of the Produce, Conserve, and Include Strategy, PCI, for the four first years from the implementation of that strategy, from 2016 to 2019, and was based on data from 2015, when the PCI was launched by the State Government during the COP 21, in Paris.
The analysis was made by the PCI Monitoring Committee created in 2017 by entities that take part in the Strategy, so as to assess the advancements, support improvements and suggested actions, and ensure transparency for partners, investors, and the society as a whole.
The executive director of PCI Institute, Fernando Sampaio, reaffirmed that the goals were voluntarily agreed upon by participants from several sectors (governments, companies, civil society, and others) with the common objective of promoting sustainable development by efficient use of the land. He also spoke about the creation of PCI Institute, a private organization capable of leveraging the funding required to achieve those goals. “We already have support for strategic actions, such as the REM Program – an initiative by the governments of Germany and the United Kingdom, IDH, Norway, United Nations Agencies, and the World Bank,” he pointed out.
Alex Marega, Executive Secretary for the Environment, explained the work performed by the state of Mato Grosso to eradicate illegal deforestation, which is a goal included in the Preserve axis, and reinforced the commitment to continue with robust public policies that include environmental regularization. He underscored the need for public policies for command and control but acknowledges that further steps are required. “We also need policies intended to motivate farmers to keep preserving their areas, either by means of Payments for Environmental Services, REDD, or the valuation of sustainable production,” Marega stated.
Juliana Lopes, Sustainability Director at Amaggi, mentioned that the private sector has seen in the PCI an opportunity to act on complex problems with several partners together. “You may even eliminate deforestation in your production chain, but when it happens illegally in the environment where you carry out your operations, it has negative impacts on your sustainable operation model,” she added.
Paula Bernasconi, the ICV analyst, presented some of the main points of the Balance of Goals emphasized the dialogue, amplitude, and transparency as core items of the PCI. “Opening the data makes you vulnerable and exposes not only the positive aspects but also the difficulties. At the same time, this is a great strength, as it allows you to evaluate how to improve and invite other players to contribute,” she stated.
In the last five years, IDH has invested around 9 million Euros in Mato Grosso, with more than 4 million Euros allocated to the PCI Strategy, with direct support to the structuring of its governance, including the Regional Compacts and the creation of the PCI Institute. Resources have also been allocated to support Sema-TM in the process of land and environmental regularization. And a third support line was allocated to co-funding projects with the private sector.