Opening class of doctoral administration program discusses climate finance and sustainability

The Professional Doctorate in Administration Program at Fundação Getulio Vargas’ Sao Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP) started its activities for the class of 2025 with inaugural lectures highlighting some topical issues: social and environmental risks and the transition to a more sustainable economy. The event featured renowned experts, including Enrico Dalla Riva, a specialist in social and environmental risks at the Brazilian Central Bank, and Talita Pinto, coordinator of the FGV Bioeconomy Observatory.

Enrico Dalla Riva: the urgent issue of climate finance

Enrico Dalla Riva, who has more than 20 years of experience at the Brazilian Central Bank, shared a pragmatic view of the evolution of the concept of social and environmental risks in the financial system. In his lecture on “Climate Finance,” he emphasized the importance of allocating resources to fight climate change. “We are investing only one-third of what is needed to tackle climate change. The cost of inaction is far greater than the investment required for adaptation, resources and prevention,” he stated.

He also used concrete examples, such as the recent floods in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, to illustrate the impact of a lack of preparation and adaptation. According to him, the financial sector is adapting, aided by regulatory advances and shareholder engagement. However, corporate leaders need to take responsibility for incorporating these risks into the day-to-day running of their organizations. “Organizations need to understand their share of responsibility and not wait for regulation or external action,” he said.

Talita Pinto: The financial sector as a driver of decarbonization

Talita Pinto stressed the crucial role of financial institutions in achieving global climate goals, such as carbon neutrality by 2050. In her talk, she discussed initiatives such as the Net Zero Banking Alliance, which commits financial institutions to align their lending and investment activities with global climate goals.

The coordinator of the FGV Bioeconomy Observatory also highlighted Brazil’s opportunities in this context. Given that agribusiness accounts for around a quarter of Brazil’s GDP, Pinto argued that it is essential to value the country’s green assets and create financial incentives to foster a more sustainable economy. “Brazil is a great mix of inequality and environmental wealth. We need to think of financing as a way of generating incentives for sustainable development,” she explained.

Connection between academia and the market

Both experts reinforced FGV’s role as a link between academia and the market. Pinto emphasized the importance of initiatives that bring the two spheres closer together. “FGV connects the market, which seeks practical solutions, to academia, which offers grounded analysis and sustainable trajectories,” she said.

Welcome and talks by alumni

We welcomed the 2025 class of the Professional Doctorate in Administration Program and celebrated the start of the students’ new academic journey. At the same time, we noted that this class only contains one woman, underlying our important challenge to increase diversity in this program. We recognize the need to make the doctoral program more inclusive and representative, and we are committed to initiatives to pursue this. One of them is the WDBA group, made up of the program’s female students and graduates, which provides support, promotes networking and fosters recognition of female representation within our institution and in the market. There is also the DBA Club, an initiative run by the FGV EAESP Alumni Network for the program’s graduates.

After the lectures, the new students had the opportunity to hear from the Professional Doctorate in Administration Program’s students and alumni, including Mel Girão, Sandro Benelli and Maximiliano Carlomagno, who shared their experiences of the program and its impact on their professional careers. The meeting ended with a welcome from the program’s new coordinator, Professor Paul Ferreira, who reinforced the program’s commitment to training leaders capable of tackling contemporary challenges with a vision that integrates science, the market and sustainability.