Less than 100 kilometres from here lies Latin America’s largest port. It’s not only São Paulo’s gateway to the world but also a lifeline of the Brazilian economy. However, the port in Santos is being hit ever harder by extreme weather events. Rising sea levels, floods and storms pose a very real threat to its future. That’s just one consequence of the climate crisis which is hitting us with ever greater force. Only this February, more than 60 people in the federal state of São Paulo lost their lives due to extreme weather. And in Europe, too, forest fires, floods and storms are a growing threat.

It’s clear that this climate crisis endangers the security of us all. It’s therefore in our common interest to contain it. We’re doing that by massively reducing greenhouse gas emissions and by tackling the consequences of global warming together. Together means that not only the governments in our capitals are working together.

Together means that we are working and standing together as a society, as citizens, as federal states, and also as businesses. And where could the potential for this be greater than here? One third of Brazil’s economic output is generated in São Paulo. There are more than 1000 German companies here, which alone account for around 10% of Brazilian industry’s value creation.

Together, German and Brazilian companies have an opportunity to make your federal state a pioneer of the green transition – and by that I mean a pioneer at international level.

The example of the port in Santos shows that it’s also in our economic interest to contain the climate crisis because that will enable us to secure the future of our trade and our citizens’ prosperity. I’m therefore delighted that your companies are signing the Acordo Ambiental today, thus making their contribution towards the implementation of the federal state of São Paulo’s climate targets.

The German Consulate-General will support the implementation of this agreement. Because we want to learn from all of you – especially from the expertise which will be conveyed back to parent companies in Germany. I’d therefore like to thank the government of the federal state of São Paulo and you in particular, Mr Governor, for your tremendous commitment.

But I’d also like to thank the representatives of the German business community for embarking along this path with the federal state. All of you have thus shown what shouldering responsibility means. Responsibility for the greatest security challenge of our day and age. Responsibility for a green transition which can benefit us all. For a secure future of our shared economy – the global economy – and for a secure future for people in our two countries.