New York City has long been a key venue for one of the most important annual gatherings in the global sugar and bioenergy sectors and this year was no exception. On May 13 and 14, the Brazilian Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry Association (UNICA) participated in Sugar Week in NYC, with high-level discussions on the role of ethanol in the evolving landscape of sustainable mobility.
On the 13th, the event, organized in collaboration with Bioenergia Brasil and XP Inc., brought together prominent leaders and stakeholders from across the sector. This initiative is part of the Sugarcane Ethanol Project, developed in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).
Among the distinguished participants were Governors Tarcísio de Freitas (São Paulo) and Eduardo Riedel (Mato Grosso do Sul), Senator Tereza Cristina, and Federal Deputies Arnaldo Jardim, José Vitor, Marussa Boldrin, and Pedro Lupion, alongside prominent representatives from the bioenergy industry. UNICA was represented by its CEO, Mr. Evandro Gussi.
The debate highlighted diverse perspectives and approaches to the global challenges facing renewable energy. It also explored how Brazil’s sugar and bioenergy sector—through its sustainable agricultural practices and extensive experience with biofuels in transportation—can play a leading role in the global energy transition.
A standout moment of the event was the address by Admiral José Augusto, Brazil’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who spoke on the country’s contributions to the decarbonization of maritime transport. According to Admiral Augusto, Brazilian ethanol fully meets the requirements of international shipping as a low-carbon fuel, positioning it as a viable and sustainable solution for the sector’s decarbonization.
Another key topic addressed during the event was the vital role Brazilian ethanol can play in land-based mobility. Pablo Di Si shared insights from the U.S. automotive sector, highlighting how ethanol can be effectively integrated with electric vehicle technologies—such as flex-fuel hybrids and ethanol-based biomethane vehicles. These are viable, ready-to-deploy solutions that can significantly contribute to the global shift to sustainable energy in transportation.
On the 14th, Mr. Gussi also participated in the 18th NY Sugar & Ethanol Conference—an event organized in collaboration by CITI, the International Sugar Organization (ISO), and DATAGRO. The conference brought together key authorities and global leaders from the sugar-energy sector. It was followed by the traditional NY Sugar Dinner, a distinguished gathering that offers an opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange among the industry’s top decision-makers.
About Sugarcane Ethanol Project
ApexBrasil and UNICA made public in 2008, through the Brazilian Sugarcane Ethanol partnership, a strategy to promote the image of sugarcane products abroad, especially Brazilian ethanol as a clean and renewable energy. In 2023, the two entities signed an agreement that provides for shared investments.
The sectoral project aims to influence the process of building the image of ethanol and other sugarcane derivatives among the main global opinion makers – governments and the media, as well as trading companies, potential investors and importers, NGOs and consumers.
About ApexBrasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. In order to achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out several trade promotion initiatives aimed at promoting Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business rounds, support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that also aim at strengthening the Brazil brand. The Agency also acts in a coordinated way with public and private players to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil with a focus on strategic sectors for the development of the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.
@SugarcaneOrg
