Sustainability Magazine January 2024 | Page 159

The conference last year , and beyond , garners the attention of technology investors and corporations as the world accelerates the energy transition . Bill Gates , a philanthropist and investor in technology and climate , also turned up to host a forum .
This not only brings media attention to the input of the Microsoft Founder , but is an example of high-net-worth individuals attending COP from the private sector to express their concerns , which , much like Elon Musk ’ s attendance at the AI Summit , can shape the vision of entire industries and raise further awareness among the public .
Big news : Brazil returns to COP From the perspective of territory , the leaders of nations join the conversation each year at COP , but this one brought Brazil back into the fold as its President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva joined the international pool of leaders in Dubai .
Entering into his Third term as President , he ’ s achieved one of the world ’ s most significant feats , which was to reduce destruction of the Amazon Rainforest . Such a result puts him in the category of the most influential authorities at the conference . Not only does this come from a country with a unique , natural carbonsequestration asset , but also demonstrates how a less developed economy can navigate climate risks .
Since he took office for a third time in January 2023 , the veteran leader has halved deforestation in its giant share of the Amazon versus last year and has pledged to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030 .
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