The Brazil Institute of the Wilson Center honored André Esteves and Thomas Lovejoy in event that celebrated the cause of global environmental sustainability

Conservation biologist Thomas E. Lovejoy is the first scientist to receive the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service. A University Professor in the Environmental Science and Policy department at George Mason University and Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation, Lovejoy received the honor Tuesday, October 6th 2015, in New York City, at a dinner hosted by the Brazil Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Andre Esteves, Chairman and CEO of investment bank BTG Pactual, received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship for his involvement and support to the cause of environmental sustainability.  Thomas R. Nides, the Chairman of the Wilson Center Board of Trustees, who presided the ceremony, praised Esteves for “promoting a new breed of entrepreneurship, one that sees Brazil economic integration in the global economy as part of the solution to nation’s problems.” Nides underlined Esteves “generosity, not only when it comes to the profits of an extremely successful corporation […] but also his time and passion for the cause of sustainability” Anthony S. Harrington, former United States ambassador to Brazil and Chairman of the Brazil Institute Advisory Board, highlighted the roles of both honorees in their respective fields as bridges between their countries, “the Americas largest democracies.”

The event, held in the Empire Room of the Waldorf Astoria, was co-chaired by Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, Chairman and CEO of Cosan, Raízen and Comgás, Persio Arida, Founding Partner and Board Member of BTG Pactual, Israel Klabin, President of the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development, Russell Mittermier, Vice-Chairman of Conservation International, and, in absentia, José Luiz Cutrale, Chairman and CEO of Cutrale Citrisuco. Ambassador Antonio Patriota, Chief of Brazil’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, James Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank, Naomi Moniz, Professor Emerita of Portuguese language at Georgetown University and wife of the US Secretary of Energy, Ernie Moniz, and Carlos Lins da Silva, Wilson Center Global Fellow and member of the Brazil Institute Advisory Board attended the event.

Mittermeier, and Klabin presented the Award for Public Service. They spoke fondly of their enduring friendship with Lovejoy, his dedication to the global preservation agenda and his role as a pioneer in the field of biodiversity and climate change research. In Mittermeier’s words “Tom was really the person who put the Amazon and Brazil on the global conservation agenda.” Israel Klabin praised Lovejoy for “his efforts in promoting planetary sustainability […] he was ultimately responsible for promoting a trademark of sustainability throughout the world.” In his acceptance speech, Lovejoy emphasized “how much the positive agenda in the Amazon region has built over time […] unprecedented amounts of biodiversity and forest are now under some sort of government protection, a seemingly impossible endeavor only a few years ago.” Lovejoy also applauded Esteves, citing his essential role as “a businessman with the vision necessary to create a better society and aiding’s Brazil’s journey to full development.”

Rubens Ometo Silveira Mello, presenting the Award for Corporate Citizenship alongside Persio Arida, praised Esteves as both a businessman and a philanthropist. “Thinking and acting like Andre can make a difference, businessman with vision can inspire people help create a better society in general.” 

Persio Arida, a former President of the Brazilian Central Bank, is a former Wilson Center Fellow. A short introductory video highlighted the seminal impact of the work he conducted in 1984 at the Wilson Center in the development of the concept of a virtual currency that became instrumental to the successful implementation, ten years later, of the Real Plan under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. In his remarks, Arida cited a conversation he and other directors of BTG Pactual had with Esteves about corporate citizenship and the role of companies as profit-making organisms and place the responsibility of bettering our society on human beings:  “Andre said  ‘we should make it clear that companies are not there to help humanity or to help social causes. BTG Pactual as an investment company, as a bank, should be there to invest smartly the money of the clients, to maximize return to shareholders, to facilitate business, and to make markets more efficient – that’s the mission. Social responsibility is actually an individual responsibility. As an entrepreneur, I’m socially responsible and that’s another story. I am acting as a human being.’ The distinction is very interesting because it was crystal clear in his mind what the mission of the company and what his mission as a human being was.”

In his acceptance speech, Esteves mentioned “that watching the video about the Brazil Institute and seeing its vital role supporting Persio Arida’s research, which served as the launching point for Brazilian economic stabilization, makes us understand the important role of the Wilson Center in the world.” Esteves also stressed the vital importance of “promoting entrepreneurship in Brazil and inspiring business leaders to give back to their communities, so that together we can foster citizenship is our societies.”

Click here to view the Brazil Institute video

Prepared by Talita Franco, Senior at American University and Staff Intern at the Brazil Institute