Building Bridges Event: Cleaning up the Brazilian Gold Value Chain

September 14, 2023

Cleaning up the Brazilian Gold Value Chain

Date: 5th October 2023

Time: 10:00 to 11:30 CET

Location:  Centre International de Conférences Genève – Room B and Online

To Register: click here

About the Event

Sustainable finance requires taking steps to ensure that all financial activity is aligned with the need for a healthy and balanced planet.  The disappearance of the Amazon is, in this respect, a major threat.  The Brazil – Switzerland gold value chain is a good illustration of how this plays out in reality. Join us to explore steps that Brazil is taking to eliminate illegal gold from its production and trade, contributions that a range of Swiss players are making – or could make – to support Brazil’s efforts; and the role of the Swiss financial sector in helping this to happen.

Background

Brazil

Mining of metals and minerals is an important part of Brazil’s economy, and the royalties are essential for its economic and social development. Unfortunately, roughly half of the gold from Brazil is mined illegally, much of it in the Amazon, and directly contributes to deforestation on a large scale, the violation of indigenous and other protected areas, abuse of human rights and pollution of ecosystems.

At the other end of the value chain, gold is bought and sold for jewellery, industrial uses and as a financial asset.  This trade – and the central involvement of financial players – cannot fail to be linked to the negative impact on the ground.

Switzerland

Switzerland is a major gold trading centre and the second most important destination for Brazilian gold after Canada.  Switzerland also plays a leading global role in gold refining, and of course, Swiss financial institutions buy, sell and store large quantities of gold, including gold from Brazil.

Switzerland seeks to maintain the highest standards in terms of the gold imported and refined in the country, and its legislation carries heavy sanctions for those involved in illegal trade. Switzerland is leading the rapid development of technology for traceability, as its reputation requires strong steps to ensure the integrity of its value chains.

In the past few years, this has meant exercising great care in respect of gold from Brazil due to the proliferation of illegal gold mining under the previous government.

The Opportunity

With the election of President Lula in late 2022,  the ending of Amazon deforestation and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples has been publicly established as the highest priority.  Achieving these aims requires eliminating illegal gold mining and ensuring that such gold does not enter the value chain, especially in terms of its exports.

There is an impressive consensus among key actors in Brazil on the need to advance this aim.  Beyond the Executive, it extends to the formal mining sector, the central bank and the financial community, the Federal Police, the judiciary, and civil society. 

The second factor concerns the rapid improvement in the traceability of gold from extraction to final point of sale.  This includes sophisticated technology to determine the precise origin of gold, to mark it so that it might be traced to its final destination, to provide gold with a “geo-forensic passport,” and the use of blockchain technology to ensure the integrity of the chain of custody.  It includes technology for tracing financial transactions linked to the gold trade.

As a result, the demand to revisit the commonly-applied standard for ensuring the integrity of gold is rapidly growing.

The event programme will address three main topics:
  1. Brazil’s Commitment to Eliminate Illegal Gold
  2. Switzerland’s Action in the Gold Sector
  3. Raising the Bar – What is still needed?
Speakers Include:
  • Barbara Beck (Université de Lausanne Institute of Earth Sciences (ISTE) lecturer and Research Manager)
  • Diana Culillas (Secretary General, Swiss Better Gold Association)
  • Frédéric Dawance (Managing Partner at PPT, Head of The Swiss Positive Fund – Physical Gold’s investment team)
  • Marcelo Furtado (NatureFinance Principal and Co-Lead of the Taskforce on Nature Markets, Head of Sustainability Itaúsa)
  • Marie-Laure Schaufelberger (Head of ESG and Stewardship, the Pictet Group)
  • Mark Halle (Senior Advisor, NatureFinance)
  • Melina Risso (Research Director, Igarapé Institute)
  • Neidinha Suruí (Co-founder, Kandidé Ethno-Environmental Defense Association)
  • Olivia Lipsky (Corporate Sustainability Manager, WWF Switzerland)
  • Patrick Odier (President of Swiss Sustainable Finance, Chairman of Building Bridges)
  • Raul Jungmann (President, Brazilian Mining Association (IBRAM))
  • Xavier Miserez  (Head of Sales, MKS Pamp)

Join us in person at Building Bridges in Geneva, or online: Register Now

Speakers Include

Barbara Beck
Barbara Beck, Lecturer and Research Manager, Université de Lausanne Institute of Earth Sciences (ISTE)

Barbara is Privat Docent and currently a lecturer in the field of natural resource management and senior researcher at University of Lausanne.

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Diana Culillas
Diana Culillas, Secretary General, Swiss Better Gold Association 

Diana leads the Swiss Better Gold Association, a pioneering network of industry, finance and service providers representing Swiss gold industry.

 

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Marcelo Furtado
Marcelo Furtado, Principal - NatureFinance, Co-lead of the secretariat - Taskforce on Nature Markets, Head of Sustainability - Itaúsa

Marcelo is a Principal with NatureFinance, co-lead of the secretariat of the Taskforce on Nature Markets and the head of Sustainability Itaúsa.

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Mark Halle
Mark Halle, Senior Advisor

Mark is a Senior Advisor with NatureFinance, and sits on the Leadership Group. 

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Melina Risso
Melina Risso, Research Director at Igarapé Institute

Melina Risso holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in Public Administration and Government from the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and co-author of the book “Segurança Pública para Virar o Jogo”. She is currently research director at the Igarapé Institute.

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Neidinha Suruí
Neidinha Suruí, Human rights activist

Neidinha Suruí is an environmental and human rights activist, indigenist, historian, and project coordinator at the nonprofit Kandidé Ethno-Environmental Defense Association

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Olivia Lipsky
Olivia Lipsky, Corporate Sustainability Manager, WWF Switzerland

Besides working on topics including Climate Action and Biodiversity Stewardship, in her capacity as Corporate Sustainability Manager, Olivia promotes more Sustainable Business Practices in the gold, watch and jewellery sectors.

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Patrick Odier
Patrick Odier, President of Swiss Sustainable Finance, Chairman of Building Bridges

Patrick Odier is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Lombard Odier Group since 2023. He has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank Lombard Odier from 2014 until 2023. He was Senior Managing Partner of the Lombard Odier Group (2008 2022). 

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Xavier Miserez
Xavier Miserez, Head of Sales, MKS Pamp

Xavier joined MKS PAMP in 2013, in the Legal & Compliance department. He then moved to a front position to become Head of Sales in 2019, covering all upstream and downstream clients.

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