The Center for Studies on Infrastructure and Environmental Solutions (FGVceisa) at Fundação Getulio Vargas’ Sao Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP) is holding a free online debate called “Neither Cartels nor Greenwashing: The Limits to Environmental Sustainability Agreements Involving Competitors, Due to the Risk of Violating Antitrust Laws.” This public event will be livestreamed on FGV’s YouTube channel on August 30, at 2 pm.

Agreements between competitors may be necessary to achieve ambitious environmental sustainability goals, which are desirable in a context of serious climate crisis. Against this backdrop, authorities in England, Japan and the Netherlands, as well as the European Commission, have recently issued specific guidelines relating to environmental sustainability/climate change agreements, trying to lessen the impact that the fear of antitrust enforcement has on companies that want to cooperate with competitors, such as to reduce the pollution generated by their production or logistics processes.

While these guidelines are important to ensure that the deterrent effect of antitrust law does not prevent the adoption of desirable practices, it is hoped that antitrust authorities will not be lenient toward greenwashing and will continue to curb cartels and other anti-competitive conduct.

The aim of the webinar is to encourage debate between those who believe that there is room for the adoption of practical measures by antitrust authorities to help companies meet their sustainability goals and those who understand that such discussion could diminish legal certainty for companies and should be avoided in the context of antitrust enforcement.

The speakers will be Victor Fernandes, a board member of the Brazilian Antitrust Regulatory Agency (CADE); Leonardo Rocha e Silva, a partner in law firm Pinheiro Neto; and Paula Mello, also a partner in Pinheiro Neto. The event will be moderated by Gesner Oliveira, the coordinator of FGVceisa.

To take part, please sign up here.