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In 2020 and 2021, Clarissa Lins, founding partner at Catavento, took part as a lecturer in MBE Energia, a graduate course aimed at high-level professionals interested in the energy area, at PUC-Rio. Guilherme Ferreira, partner at Catavento, was responsible for preparing the class material and supporting Clarissa in conducting the classes. Throughout each year, four classes were conducted with the theme – “Society, environment and energy”.

During the first class, Clarissa’s main discussion topics were the relevance of energy for society, global energy transitions and the new challenges of the sector. Clarissa pointed out that energy is highly relevant for social well-being, showcasing the relationship between the HDI of the key countries and per capita energy consumption. Additionally, it contextualized the transformations of the energy sector throughout history and its influence on socioeconomic development.

Four main transitions were identified: (i) from men to animals; (ii) from animals to natural resources; (iii) from natural resources to fossils and (iv) from fossils to renewables. The fourth and current energy transition has different characteristics from the others, as it is motivated by climate change and demands the replacement of energy sources. In this context, it is essential to reconcile the increase in demand for energy expected for the coming decades with the reduction of carbon emissions.

In the second class, Clarissa pointed out that climate change is a matter of energy. According to IPCC data, approximately 74% of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are related to energy use. In view of this scenario, it is essential to make the transition to clean, accessible and reliable energy feasible. Throughout the class, the main global drivers of the transition were highlighted. Clarissa highlighted the role of assertive public policies, new forms of resource allocation (eg ESG funds) and business models of companies.

Corporate responsibility, in turn, was the main topic of the third class. Clarissa pointed out that companies are being asked, more and more, to develop solutions jointly with other stakeholders. Three main pillars of action were listed, namely: ambitious targets for reducing emissions, transparency and credibility through alignment with global standards (e.g., TCFD) and new climate governance for greater mobilization. Clarissa analyzed, based on her corporate experience, the new context for companies in the O&G sector. She highlighted that there are different business models being adopted by companies in the quest to make the transition viable, while maintaining attractive returns, attracting young talent and ensuring continuous dialogue with society.

For the last class, a debate was organized with energy industry executives regarding the energy transition in Brazil. The class was attended by Elvira Cavalcanti Presta, Financial and Investor Relations Director at Eletrobras, Cristiano Pinto da Costa, Vice President of Upstream Business at Shell Brasil, and Cristina Pinho, Corporate Executive Director at IBP – Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo. Clarissa Lins moderated the debate which included a Q&A session with the students.