Planting Regenerative Futures
The year we multiplied our capacity for multisectoral articulation and action
VOCATIONS IN CONSTANT EVOLUTION
In previous years, the most prominent challenges and themes were linked to education, emphasizing the advocacy for the rights of children and young people in vulnerable situations. This included initiatives such as the update of the “50-Year Vision” of the Roberto Marinho Foundation, the reinvention of public engagement and brand strategies in the culture of donation for the Criança Esperança 2022 project. Additionally, there was a focus on empowering new agents of change, evidenced by participation in the training of peripheral futurists in Digital Future Insights, at the invitation of Fa.vela/Futuros Inclusivos, and in the second year of partnership with Sistema B, guiding the Journey of B Multipliers.
However, this year, the focus shifted to climate and socio-environmental issues. The main areas of action included:
A) Driving business decarbonization and enhancing integrated communication of Sustainability and ESG assets;
B) Co-creating strategies to engage multiple stakeholders in society;
C) Accelerating and constantly evolving business sustainability commitments and attributes;
D) Developing and facilitating communities of practice to enrich the formative journeys of new impact strategists.
These were the themes that inspired us the most and demanded coherence in our actions this year.
Emerging callings of the year: #CLIMATE, #AMAZON #ESG #COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE #GREEN SKILLS #IMPACT STRATEGISTS
MAJOR CONSULTING PROJECTS 2023
ITAÚ
What is the future we are building through the impactful actions of the giant Itaú Unibanco, and how can we tell this story engaging multiple layers of stakeholders in this construction?
This project begins with a particularity and significant responsibility: having joint custody between the Sustainability and Marketing areas. The narrative thread should be integrated both by the historical commitment of agendas and institutional assets related to sustainability, private social investment, and corporate citizenship, as well as the need to create critical mass and guidance on the best communication paths to reinforce the bank’s credibility with customers, business ecosystem, and society.
Considering this context and the need to address multiple interests, we designed the Integration Journey of Itaú Unibanco’s ESG Sustainability Communication Platform.
Throughout the project, we conducted interviews with members of the Executive and Administrative Boards, actively involving over a hundred Itubers (an affectionate term for the bank’s employees), covering 63 areas with involvement in the subject. Thirteen diagnostic and co-creation sessions were conducted in a hybrid collaborative work format (online and in-person interactions) with a delivery in 3 dimensions:
Sustainability — Participatory Diagnosis, mapping initiatives, and organizing prioritized stakeholders for agendas, serving as input, even for other instruments and impact reports (for example, the update of the Materiality Matrix).
Marketing — Inputs for the construction of a unified communication strategy and recommendations for the execution of the Integrated ESG Sustainability Communication Platform, along with suggestions for prioritizing the most coherent projects by stakeholder to gain visibility in campaign developments and, consequently, strengthen reputational impact.
Business — Reduction of asymmetry in conceptual understandings and alignment across different areas, with provocations on how Sustainability and ESG can be even more levers for innovation and business value generation.
Article about the Integration Journey of the Itaú Sustainability and ESG Communication Platform
#ESG #GREEN SKILLS #ESTRATEGISTAS DE IMPACTO
GREENPEACE BRAZIL
In a constantly changing world, where sustainability and environmental awareness have not only become topics of discussion but imperatives for the planet’s survival, the role of organizations like Greenpeace Brazil (GPBR) has never been more relevant.
However, even environmental giants are not immune to the challenges of adapting to new realities, technologies, and societal demands. It is with a mix of humility and enthusiasm that we share the journey-format consultancy in which we immersed ourselves, alongside this iconic institution, to outline the strategic planning for the next three years.
The new leadership not only emphasized the importance of adapting to changes in the global landscape but also reinforced the need for an inclusive, collaborative, caring, and innovative organizational culture.
This transition, although challenging in various aspects, represented a valuable opportunity for GPBR to reassess its mission, align with contemporary demands, and nurture its passion for environmental advocacy in day-to-day operations.
And in the final stretch of the year, we received another gift, which is the Letter of Recommendation from Greenpeace International (text of the approved draft and in the process of issuance).
Reference Letter
Greenpeace International (GPI) experienced working with the Decah team while creating the 3-year strategic plan of Greenpeace Brazil in 2023. It was an intensive and enriching process, including all the relevant stakeholders: the staff of Greenpeace Brazil, the Senior leadership team and the Board. GPI was one of the key partners in the process led by Greenpeace Brazil and facilitated by the Decah consultancy.
The 3-year strategic plan of GPBrazil emphasizes Diversity and Inclusion as the key values and principles of this co-creation journey. So, the Decah team did an excellent job of connecting various partners, creating a safe space to share their perspectives, and staying focused on the main strategic objectives of Greenpeace aims to be achieved in Brazil. We also value the experience of the Decah team in fostering a culture of co-creation and belonging while promoting a holistic and integrated view of the expected outcomes. We as GPI felt very much connected throughout the whole process, respected and invited to share our perspectives.
GPI was excited to contribute to the digital and streamlined process organized by the Decah team connecting the peers inside and outside Brazil. We at GPI are delighted to see the support from the Decah team for leadership in diagnosing and assessing the challenges identified in the previous strategic cycle and to suggest pathways to address them in the new plan.
As an overall result, the 3-year strategic plan demonstrates an inspiring vision and clarifies the role of Greenpeace in Brazilian society and in international combat to tackle the climate, biodiversity and inequality crisis. We highly appreciate the role of facilitators from the Decah team who supported the office in coming up with the inspiring framing ‘re-exist’ in Brazil that gives the right focus for the organization to be driven by the external impact.
GPI deeply appreciates the experience and talent of the Decah team in establishing transparent collaboration. We are happy to see a robust strategy that contributes to the regeneration of Greenpeace’s members, strengthen the organizational culture, and amplify the impact for all involved.
Sincerely yours,
Senior Development Manager
Polina Malysheva
Article in Exame about Marcele Oliveira
#GREEN SKILLS #IMPACT STRATEGISTS #CLIMATE, #AMAZONIA
GIZ*
*Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
In partnership with GIZ, through the EUROCLIMA Program, we facilitated a meeting in Brasília with the aim of promoting engagement focused on transformations for a sustainable future.
The meeting’s objective was to understand trends in Brazil and Europe, identify challenges and opportunities to promote bilateral cooperation, facilitate transformation processes, and promote cooperation and synergy among different stakeholders. We co-created awareness processes for the benefits of collaboration within programs and in the exchange of synergistic learnings and interests.
The launch of the Country Window aims to enhance green and inclusive economic policies, as well as sustainable investments in Brazil, supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy, considering the strategic role of green hydrogen.
Five actions were identified to be implemented by GIZ:
Green Economy
Bioeconomy
Sustainable Finance
Governance and Dialogues in H2
Sociobiodiversity Chains
This is the third time we have collaborated with GIZ, honoring our purpose of encouraging intersectoral collaboration and methodologies for co-creating socio-environmental solutions in the LATAM region through EUROCLIMA, a regional cooperation program with the European Union on sustainable development and climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean, implemented by GIZ.
#COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE #GREEN SKILLS #IMPACT STRATEGISTS #INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
JBS — KIND LEATHER
We initiated our partnership with JBS Couros in 2022, kicking off with a participatory diagnosis. This process involved 8 interviews, engaging 16 executives and 2 partners, with the main goal of aligning the positioning strategy, brand discourse, and proposals for the evolution of Kind Leather (the brand delivering more innovation in the sector). We emphasize our commitment to working with those who most need to improve their impact results. Our approach is targeted at entities that, while facing significant sustainability challenges, are actively seeking to transform their operations. This reflects our belief that the greatest environmental and social impacts can be achieved by collaborating with organizations on the path to improvement. By focusing on these partners, we open up a range of opportunities to generate significant and lasting changes.
In 2023, we expanded the interview phase, involving more leadership and ecosystem partners. This expansion was complemented by benchmark studies on innovative materials and emerging solutions, also analyzing their respective brand positions and the sale/promotion of their attributes. With this, we could update our perceptions of current business needs and refine the diagnosis regarding the best Brand Positioning strategies for Kind Leather.
The delivery was summarized in four stages:
- Diagnosis
Analysis of in-depth interviews, with the cross-referencing of perceptions collected in workshops with leadership.
2. Attributes & Commitments
Treatment of attributes mapped in workshops with leadership, for directing differentials.
3. Stakeholders
Analysis of interests, relationship with key stakeholders, and definition of the brand’s strategic role.
4. Positioning
Definition of strategic fields for business and brand, with the creation of a new strategic positioning.
For the second stage, we used a matrix for attribute categorization, helping us understand where Kind Leather stands out, its challenges, and how it compares with other leathers in the market. This dynamic evaluated and positioned the brand and product attributes according to the horizons of Regenerative Design, categorizing and prioritizing attributes into three lines representing different strategies and intentions of impact (mitigating inequities, emerging innovations, and building regenerative futures). This provided a clear visualization of how the attributes align with the company’s sustainability and ESG goals.
Finally, we adopted a hybrid and innovative approach in the Reflection Journey focused on Kind Leather’s Brand Positioning. We remixed and customized the learning synthesis framework, drawing on references such as JBS’s Brand Plates, best practices in Rastro’s Brand Positioning, and Decah’s principles of excellence in ESG Communication. This customized framework was essential to record our official narrative thread and shape the next strategic steps, as well as deepen and unfold initiatives in the various verticals of the brand’s activities.
#CLIMATE, #AMAZON #ESG #COMMITMENTS #CIRCULARITY
MULTISECTORAL IMPACT JOURNEYS
Decah transcends the concept of conventional impact consultancy. We are an innovative and authentic synthesis of a collaborative approach, our unique JOIAS methodology, and multidisciplinary expertise.
With a diverse track record in various sectors and a sharp focus on socio-environmental impact and engagement of multiple stakeholders, we aim to ensure that our diagnostics are profound and focused on the most crucial points, strategically using possible certifications, indices, and sustainability models.
We understand that our role, approach, and delivery manifest more powerfully when we conduct journeys where we engage multiple stakeholders in the process of strategic convergence and catalyze a profound cultural transformation in organizations.
Our value proposition, aimed at fostering collaborative behavior to catalyze a culture of socio-environmental innovation, unfolds in three dimensions: Business Strategy, Innovation Culture, and Impact. Currently, we present our value generation possibilities in the form of Journeys.
1 — ESG JOURNEY FOR PRIVATE INITIATIVES
The breadth within the ESG universe points to a multiplicity of approaches, languages, and metrics. This variety, while rich, can make the journey in the agenda confusing, fragmented, and without convergence and prioritization of clear business paths.
Our commitment is to guide companies in interpreting, customizing, and adapting these practices. We do this by strategically aligning them with the specific needs of each organization, based on precise diagnostics, aiming at the creation of sustainable value.
With experience in various sectors and a clear focus on impact and regeneration, we offer solutions that go beyond mitigation, directing organizations towards a true ESG transformation aligned with their core business.
JOIAS 2.0
A methodology composed of frameworks that will assist in the diagnosis of processes and co-creation of ESG strategies and practices. In 2024, we will release the update of JOIAS 2.0 tools and content, incorporating the main indicators and parameters, nationally and internationally synchronized with standards such as GRI, SASB, ISO, GHG, ISE, CSA, Circulytics.
The goal is to expand support for publicly traded companies or companies and startups in the IPO process, as well as VCs and funds interested in qualifying their ESG investments by parameterizing and cross-cutting demands, requirements, and recommendations in a more integrated manner with the company’s culture and strategic priorities, balancing the interests of the company, investors, and society.
To learn more about our ESG Journeys, visit
2 — INTEGRATED IMPACT JOURNEYS FOR THE THIRD SECTOR
Our proposal is not only to recognize these complexities and intersections but also to decode them.
Our commitment is to guide third-sector institutions in the reconfiguration, customization, and updating of their impact strategies. We achieve this through diagnostics and strategic alignment with the specific needs of each organization, involving multiple stakeholders in formulating strategies for systemic impact.
Furthermore, our active participation in key discussions and articulations around ESG and impact businesses in the private sector gives us the expertise and momentum needed to foster intersectoral collaborations, dialogues, and co-responsibilities.
To learn more about our Journeys for the Third Sector, visit.
PRACTICE COMMUNITY
B Multipliers 2023
In a context with a proliferation of courses, certifications, and professional update needs due to new regulations and demand for professionals in building 2030 impact strategies, we have seen various superficial approaches and merely expositional pedagogy.
Therefore, since 2021, Decah has been collaborating with Sistema B Brasil for a period of 3 years, supporting the curriculum update of the Multiplying B Formative Journey (Conception, Co-Facilitation, and Methodology Transfer). This partnership has generated innovation within the SBB’s portfolio of solutions/new businesses, influencing a greater diversity of revenue for the organization, going beyond certification. This collaboration also boosted growth in the programs area by more than 40% compared to 2022, marking the highest number in the organization’s history.
Decah’s proactivity in suggesting this partnership aims to broaden and reinforce the network-oriented operating culture, serving as an engine for curriculum updates and promoting the practice community approach as a relationship strategy for stakeholders crucial to Sistema B.
Since 2021, we have already trained more than 300 B Multipliers, and the forming Multiplier teams have served over 50 impact businesses, using JOIAS as a working tool.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Sistema B Brasil, a B Lab partner organization since 2012, responsible for the engagement, promotion, and local dissemination of the entire B movement throughout the country, acknowledges the excellence of the work carried out by Decah, a B Corporation, in training B Multipliers.
In 2023, Decah partnered with us for the third consecutive time in the Formative Journey of the B Multipliers Program for the 2023.1 class. We had the opportunity to have Decah present in facilitating 8 sessions during the Lab stage, leveling and addressing questions about the JOIAS frameworks, bringing customer-centric approaches and facilitation best practices, and acting as co-leadership of multidisciplinary teams for the class alongside the Sistema B Brasil team.
Decah played an enriching role as a class facilitator, bringing excellent didactics, collaborative solutions, stimulating participants’ critical thinking, and consistently reinforcing the values of the B Movement, showcasing the practical challenges and advantages of being a B Corporation.
We have a more than consolidated partnership, as Decah is intimately familiar with the entire teaching methodology we use, providing theoretical and practical classes. This is due to its fundamental involvement in the construction of the online learning model we have been using since 2021.
In this sense, Sistema B Brasil, based on its experience, recognizes the work of excellence, dedication to contributing to the B Movement, and the innovative services developed and provided by Decah.
Sincerely,
Rodrigo Santini
Executive Director of Sistema B Brasil
NETWORKS
In addition to our longstanding involvement with the B Corporation ecosystem since 2014, in 2023, we broadened our horizons and connections with other networks, alliances, and coalitions to supplement our relevance in networks, explore new ways to serve, and articulate ways to generate network impact.
B FOR GOOD LEADERS
The B Lab For Good Leader is the result of two initiatives: the Social Venture Network, founded in the 1990s as the first international network for sustainable entrepreneurship, and the non-profit organization B Lab, which promotes the certification of socially and environmentally responsible companies.
The event in Amsterdam aimed to establish a global cooperative with leaders who choose socio-environmental responsibility as the center of decision-making and focus on the development of concrete actions for the co-creation of desirable futures. There are 1200 executives from companies worldwide sharing their contributions and exchanging knowledge about their impacts on the world through their products and services that are contributing, in practice, to the transition to a fair and regenerative economy.
I was selected as one of the 100 leaders from the global south to participate in the event, sharing their worldview, business insights, and exchanging experiences for a truly collaborative corporate universe.
Article on our regional-to-global articulation within the B Ecosystem.
Coverage by Economia B on the event:
Engagement of Multiple Stakeholders
ALIANÇA PELO IMPACTO
We are honored to announce that we have become the fortieth member of the Aliança Pelo Impacto . The Alliance is an initiative created in May 2014 to foster the ecosystem of impact investments and businesses, operating through four main strategies:
- Education and Knowledge Production
- National Articulation
- International Articulation
- Influence on Public Policies
Aliança Pelo Impacto represents Brazil in the Global Steering Group on Impact Investing — GSG, which is a UK-based organization with the mission to foster the global ecosystem of impact investments and businesses.
MISSION
To articulate networks of relationships to attract investors, entrepreneurs, governments, and partners to make profitable business models that solve social or environmental problems happen. In doing so, it aims to change the mindset about how to manage resources and society’s needs.
To learn more about the ALIANÇA PELO IMPACTO, visit
Institutional Partnerships
Throughout our journey, we have maintained our commitment to the excellence of the entrepreneurial culture within the Goma network. In 2023, we finalized and intensified various institutional partnerships with the goal of expanding our capacity to generate significant impact and shared value.
To our partners below, we express our gratitude for the trust placed in us and the ability to collaborate in crafting effective strategies. This collaboration strengthens our mission and extends our influence.
The partnership between Decah and Strateegia, focused on Asynchronous Collaboration Environments powered by Artificial Intelligence, paves the way for the development of new customized AI agents. These agents will be shaped to meet the specific needs of clients and incorporate the knowledge gained from Decah Journeys. This innovation has the potential to significantly reinforce the culture of co-creation and engage various stakeholders more effectively.
Deep ESG — Indicator Automation:
Integration of technological solutions to automate the collection and analysis of ESG indicators, optimizing the monitoring process and ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
Rastro — Digital Communication:
Social Listening, development of communication assets, partnerships with influencers, audiovisual production, and tactical strategic planning.
ODD — Communication through Design Data Solutions:
Development of more interactive formats for presenting Sustainability, ESG, and ISP assets (e.g., Strategic Communication Compass), positioning and disseminating strategic agendas through data.
Troca — Diversity Census and Research:
A comprehensive platform for collecting and analyzing Diversity and Inclusion data.
Co-curation of methodology, conception, and facilitation of Journeys for updating perceptions of futures, change theses, and redesign and innovation strategies oriented towards promoting systemic impact and prioritizing regenerative futures.
Diagnoses and prognoses of good Sustainability and ESG practices.
Impact communication products such as Materiality Matrix, Sustainability Report, and communication strategy for inter-project stakeholders.
Mentorships
Climate Change Coalition Immersion
B Corps Multipliers
Abraps
HUB Black Excellence
Decah’s Business Wishes and Intentions for 2024:
As we celebrate the achievements of 2023, we express our deep gratitude for being part of a community committed to change and positive impact. In 2024, we share our business aspirations, aiming not only for internal growth but also valuable partnerships and collaboration opportunities for systemic impact.
Sustainable Growth:
We wish for a year of sustainable growth for Decah, expanding our presence and impact into new sectors and geographies (LATAM and Europe). We aim to be the preferred partner for companies committed to sustainable strategies and positive impact.
Strengthened Strategic Partnerships:
We commit to strengthening our existing strategic partnerships and establishing new cross-sector collaborations. We seek organizations aligned with our vision and values, willing to co-create innovative solutions. We are taking bold steps in digitizing the Decah value proposition, experimenting with AI and other technologies.
Innovative Solutions for Socio-Environmental Impact:
In 2024, we will continue to offer innovative solutions for empowerment and instrumentation in socio-environmental impact. We want to help leaders create strategies that go beyond mitigation, driving organizations toward true sustainable transformation with ESG as business drivers and commitments to the SDGs.
Development of Communities of Practice:
We are committed to the development and facilitation of communities of practice around JOIAS 2.0 for new business ecosystems. We are seeking partnerships with sponsors from the private and third sectors to materialize new classes and formative journeys for new impact strategists, providing programs and resources that enable them to lead positive changes in their sectors.
Support in Building Strategies for COP 30:
We will offer support in building engagement and preparation strategies for projects at COP 30, consolidating our presence in global socio-environmental and climate issues.
As we outline these aspirations, we invite companies and organizations to join us on this journey of impact and sustainability. Together, we can build a more collaborative and resilient future.
Discover how Decah can be your strategic partner in 2024.
Acknowledgments to the Team
The year 2023 was powerful, filled with challenges and new opportunities to make an impact, demanding an ever-growing search for coherence. It would be impossible to achieve so much without the support of such an incredible network of experts.
Thank you very much to each one for the trust and courage to build this story together:
Carla Purcino, Caroline Lessa, Sarah Brito, Jess Castro, Pedro Telles, Simone Santos, Vitor Barreira, and Marcelle Oliveira, Isabel Rodrigues.
