Journal

The adventures continue. Yesterday, we were flown to Paraná in a small, private Citation jet – though we were assured that the emissions were being offset as part of the previous day’s event. Four Klabin people accompanied us, including Klabin’s Chief Technology Officer, Francisco César Razzolini.

Among other things we were given a guided tour of: the Klabin pulp mill – where we saw different stages of the Puma project, the biggest investment in Klabin’s history; one of a series of smallholdings helping the landless find a footing; and the company-sponsored ecology park, where we watched an operation being carried out on a maned wolf.

In the evening we went out for a beer in Harmonia, where many Klabin people live, staying overnight at the Klabin hotel there. Then, this (very cold) morning we visited the Klabin technology centre nearby, being shown a range of products, old and new.

Next, we were invited to plant another tree each, this time within Harmonia, behind an environmental centre. Louise planted a Copaíba, whereas in my case the sapling was a Sibipiruna. As I said to Louise after yesterday’s rather more informal planting, it’s as if you leave something of your soul in the soil – in a good way.

Then we were flown back to São Paulo, clear skies permitting a very different view of the landscape than we could see through yesterday’s clouds.

Extraordinary day at the Inova Klabin event held in the Biennial Building in Ibirapuera, São Paulo’s city park. Did the keynote on Green Swans and the regenerative economy. Among many highlights were meeting and talking with senior Klabin management, including the chairman, CEO and CTO. Fascinating exchange with the CEO, Christiano Cardoso Teixera and three senior people from Tetrapak, one of Klabin’s big customers.

Also immensely enjoyed meeting the artist Edson Pavoni, who had done a stunning artwork for the event based on the canopies of forests, made out of configured paper and then animated by winds passing through the canopies of distant forests in Brazil. Also delighted to meet musicians from the Instituto Baccarelli, which works with young people from the city’s favelas, or slums, to turn them into professional musicians – or whatever else they want to become.

Arrived in São Paulo around 05.00 this morning and were ferried to hotel by our driver, Carlos. Did a Volans team meeting en route. On my first visits to Brazil, the thought of wi-fi from a speeding car would have seemed like sci-fi. Then across to Acciona to hear about their mega-project, Line 6 of the city’s subway system. After a briefing and lunch, we were vanned across to one of the construction sites and taken deep into the tunnel workings. Beyond impressive. But the social and environmental aspects were fascinating, too. More on that anon.

Thoroughly enjoying the Fixing The Future Festival in Barcelona. Chaired two sessions yesterday, one in the morning on Biodiversity and Regeneration (with Montse Vilà of the Doñana Biology Station, Tim Smit of the Eden Project and Deli Saavedra of Rewilding Europe) and one in the afternoon on Revolution & Regeneration (with Bethany Koby of Fam Studio and Carlota Pi of Holaluz).

Wonderful to see old friends, including festival organiser Cathy Runciman of Atlas of the Future and Lisa Goldapple of Topia. And the serendipity effect has been in overdrive, as when I introduced Tim to Brian Eno, who I had met the previous evening while walking back from a dinner at the Hidden Factory, after which we had a wonderful lunch together.

Then an evening of Salvador Dalí, paella, and monsoon-like rain that left even those of us with umbrellas drenched, but that’s another story.

I was delighted to be quoted in The Los Angeles Times on the announcement that Yvon Chouinard was moving his company Patagonia into a charitable structure – which means that it will dedicate itself to funding work on climate solutions. I interviewed Yvon a couple of years back, for our Green Swans Observatory – a story that was then picked up by Topia.