IBC News Bites

--May 7-8 Brian Dean was invited by David Stillman, Executive Director of the Public-Private Alliance Foundation at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York, to participate in a discussion of a blue print for the expansion of ethanol production. The Harvard Business School style event explored the new business model approaches for the development and production of ethanol from various perspectives including business, social and environmental, research & development and private equity challenges.  There were representatives from Brazil, the US and the Dominican Republic discussing approaches from the public/private sector and the academia.  The result was an expanded understanding of new dynamics in the mix of business and sustainable development and will become the cornerstone for future discussions and collaborative actions. --May 18-29, Brian Dean was one of the delegates on the Americas Linkage trip to Peru.  His tract of meetings were arranged personally by Raul Diez Canseco Terry and concentrated with the biofuels industry.  He had meetings with the following ministers: Antonio Brack (Environment); Carlos Leyton (Agriculture) and Pedro Sanchez (Energy and Mines).  Throughout his meetings, Dean stressed the realities of biofuel production in Peru; the great opportunity to be of assistance to develop export markers for Peruvian ethanol given the unpredictable nature of the local market; and the U.S.-Peru free trade agreement’s very aggressive mandates coming into force in the United States’ market As well, Dean had meetings with various renewable energy companies including Jim Pontiff at Maple Etanol; Ron Campbell at APER (Assn. of Renewable Energy Producers); and Ismael Benavides, exminister of Agriculture. He spoke with them regarding various projects both relative to the production of palm oil for conversion into bio-diesel and the bio-ethanol area.  He told them the International Biofuels Commission (IBC) is committed to establishing a strong foothold in Peru, a country perfectly situated to participate in a robust regional and global economy in biofuels and biofuel feedstock.  Given the uncertainties in the local Peruvian market and the increasing demand in the United States and Europe due to legally mandated quotas, he told them the IBC  can be of benefit in assisting these group navigate through the complexities of market access and identifying supply-chain partners in Florida and elsewhere. --May 20 and May 22, I.. Calderon attended meetings of the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) Climate Change Advisory Task Force (CCATF) Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.  The first meeting was chaired by Carolyn Dekle, Chairman, South Florida Regional Planning Council, and attended by representatives from the county and the Building Association of South Florida (BASF). Discussion centered around setting up a steering committee to educate the public about green buildings and best practices for “green jobs.”  The Sustainability Committee reported that they were working with the Chicago Climate Exchange to find out information about a technical assistance grant.  The second meeting was held at the University of Miami Geology Dept. and chaired by Dr. Harold Wanless, dean of the dept. There were attendees from the South Florida Watrer Managetn District as well as professors from various universities including Nova, FAU and FIU. . There was an update of the County’s progress in developing sea level rise scenario maps. A task force was named to study the types and resolutions of maps with one-year increments.  At both meetings, I. Calderon spoke about the importance of the Governor’s Climate Change Conference and their possible participation.   --May 29, B. Dean participated in CAMACOL Panel “Fourth Annual Panel on Renewable Energy” which discussed the new energy policies and their impact on the private sector.  Moderated by Jorge Arrizurieta, Arrizurieta & Associates, panelists included B. Dean who spoke about forming a regional market that would be able to supply the 36 billion gallons of ethanol needed by 2020; Sr. Susan Purcell, UM Hemispheric Center, who expressed her concern about the fragmentation of the hemisphere in uniting with a common goal re the energy issue; Dr. George Philippidis, FIU’s Applied Research Center, who spoke about the business opportunities in the renewable fuels initiatives and also the need to have a policy to promote it; and Bob Martinez, Director of External Programs for FPL, who described the programs being undertaken by FPL, such as using solar, nuclear and wind energy, to help with the use of power.  This panel was part of the 30th Hemispheric Congress of Latin Chambers of Commerce and Industry. ---June 1-3, Bill Perry and Roberto Rodrigues, members of Gateway Florida’s Renewable Fuels Committee/ the Inter-American Ethanol Commission, participated in the “Ethanol Summit” held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Mr. Rodrigues, ex minister of agriculture of Brazil, moderated the panel “Biofuels in the Global Market.” With the keynote addresses delivered President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and former President Bill Clinton, the summit counted with the presence of prominent industry leaders such as Marcos Jank, president of UNICA; Roberto Vellutini, Vice President, IDB; Geoffrey Carr, Science Editor, The Economist; Jose Lima de Andrarde, Minsiter of Renewable Energy, Brazil and others.  Topics covered during the 3-day program which attracted approximately 1,000 delegates,  included opportunities for investments in biofuels; the protection of ecosystems; ethanol production and its future; long range usage of sugar cane for the production of biofuels; and new techniques for flex-fuels among others. --June 9, Bill Perry, and Roberto Rodrigues (see above), attended the “2009 Latin American Cities Conference: Brazil, Challenges and Opportunities in the New Global Scenario”.  Mr. Rodrigues participated in the roundtable “Energy and Climate Change.” Other speakers included US Ambassador in Brazil, Clifford Sobel; Ivan Ramalho, Vice Minister, Foreign Trade, Brazil; and Thomas “Mack” McLarty, President, Mc Larty Asscs. covering such topics as Brazil’s relationship with the new administration; foreign investors’ perspectives on Brazil; Brazilian leadership in energy and climate change initiatives and trends in the corporate governance and its effects on the Brazilian stock market.

 

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