06/19/2024 – 21:59
At an inauguration ceremony held this Wednesday (19), the new president of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard, gave great emphasis to the topic of energy transition in her speech. At the event, with the presence of President Lula, representatives of the federal government and workers’ leaders, she expressed her commitment to the progressive reduction of carbon emissions and the goal of achieving zero emissions by 2050.
Magda, who has in practice held the position since the end of last month, reiterated positions that she had already announced in her first press conference days after taking on the role. She said that Petrobras’ management will be in line with the search for profitability, at the same time that the company will contribute to the country’s challenges and lead a fair and inclusive energy transition.
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According to the new president of Petrobras, natural gas should be considered as a “transition fuel”. She also said that the company will strengthen renewable energy fronts and 11% of investments will be in low carbon projects. “We will take advantage of our expertise and focus on the green fuels of the future. We will also advance wind, solar and hydrogen energy,” she added.
At the same time as she recalled the finite availability of oil, Magda stated that a transition must occur without harming the country’s energy security. She highlighted that this process has a cost and, to lead it, Petrobras needs to expand its exploratory frontiers, respecting environmental legislation and licensing processes.
“Someone has to finance this transition. Investments in exploration and production are essential. There is no talking about transition without mentioning who will pay this bill. And it is oil that will pay this bill.”
The event took place at the Petrobras Research, Development and Innovation Center (Cenpes), in Rio de Janeiro. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended accompanied by First Lady Janja da Silva. It is the first time in 12 years that a President of the Republic has attended the inauguration ceremony of a Petrobras president at the company’s facilities. This last happened when Dilma Rousseff chose Graça Foster to lead the company.
Ministers Alexandre Silveira (Mines and Energy), Fernando Haddad (Finance), Rui Costa (Civil House), Margareth Menezes (Culture), Luciana Santos (Science, Technology and Innovation), Márcio Macedo (General Secretariat of the Presidency) and Laércio Portela (Communication Secretariat). Several parliamentarians also attended the ceremony, in addition to the governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra; the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes; and the president of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Aloizio Mercadante.
When talking about her pride in taking on the role, Magda recalled the beginning of her career when she took the exam and joined Petrobras, at the age of 22. There were also mentions of her time at the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP), where she even held the position of general director between 2012 and 2016.
“Petrobras was born from the desire of Brazilians for a sovereign country in energy production,” he said. She also mentioned the conversation she had with Lula when she received the invitation to take on the role. “The mission given to me by the president was to move Petrobras, because it boosts GDP [Produto Interno Bruto] from the country. It was to manage Petrobras with respect.”
Magda once again expressed support for investments to promote national fertilizer production, the naval industry and the petrochemical sector. According to her, Petrobras must act as a driver of the national industry, without losing sight of the search for profit. “Fertilizers are a good opportunity to significantly expand the gas market. Natural gas is the input with the greatest impact on the fertilizer market,” she assessed.
Social commitment
The company’s new president highlighted that Petrobras’ activities are not restricted to the energy segment, citing investments in social, environmental and cultural projects. “For every real invested by Petrobras, it is estimated that R$5 in benefits for society will be generated,” she stated. She announced the donation of R$30 million to those affected by the climate tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul.
Finance Minister Fernando Haddad praised the new president’s “comprehensive vision”. According to him, the issue of dividends and royalties, as well as a long-term look. “Magda’s speech speaks deeply to our desires to make Brazil grow, to discover new potential, to induce the industrial sector, to promote the ecological transformation of our planet.”
The Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, considered that Magda has a technical profile and is dedicated to the advancement of Brazil. He defended a Petrobras that has national commitment and environmental concern. “In the previous government, Petrobras did not invest in Brazil. She didn’t care about the country.”
Workers
During her speech, Magda Chambriard made mention of worker leaders – such as Rosangela Buzanelli, employee representative on the Petrobras Board of Directors, and Deyvid Bacelar, from the Single Federation of Oil Workers (FUP), drawing applause from those present.
Davyd Bacelar expressed positive expectations regarding Magda’s management. “Petrobras needs to invest more in Brazil. It should not be the huge dividend factory it is today. We agree with the challenges that the president brought us here, to expand the refining capacity, to resume works that were halted during Operation Lava Jato, to have a fair energy transition in dialogue with the communities that are impacted and with the workers and workers”, he highlighted. He also expressed support for Petrobras’ role as a driver of the development of the national naval industry.
One day after taking office, the president of Petrobras will already need to deal with the mobilization of workers. FUP has called for a national event this Thursday morning (20) in front of the company’s headquarters, in the center of Rio de Janeiro. An indefinite vigil will begin, in which workers will demand solutions to resolve the Petrobras Social Security Foundation (Petros) and problems involving health insurance and access to retirement.
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