Brazil what's cool right now
FROM OUR BLOG Nov 09: Brazil to leapfrog UK economy by 2011
Every week Keith Punler, CEO of Kapital International, digests what investors are saying in Brazil
It’s a well-known fact Brazil is set to be one of the world’s giant economies, but what exactly does that mean? According to The Economist Brazil will not only leapfrog the UK but also the likes of France and Italy as early as 2011 and steadily ascend to become the fifth largest economy in the world in 2016, with a gross domestic product of $5.721tn.
It’s been a good week for the Brazilian government and its international profile – in an official visit to the UK, President Lula da Silva was awarded the prestigious Chatham House Prize 2009, which honours statesmen who have made “the most significant contribution to the improvement of international relations in the previous year”. He was distinguished for his role in guaranteeing the stability of South America, improving democracy and reducing poverty in his own country.
I’ve always been impressed by the work of forward-thinking Brazilians and Jaime Lerner is no exception. Lerner is the former mayor of Curitiba – the most eco-friendly city in the world – and this week The Guardian took a look at how he used innovation and sheer perseverance to create the greenest urban environment globally – with a zero budget.
Speaking of green, Coca-Cola has announced an investment of $5.8 billion in Brazil in the next five years, where it will open its first eco-friendly plant in South America.
Global stars have been flocking to Brazil for a long time and material girl Madonna is about to join the list of celebrities; she reportedly wants to extend her charitable work to Rio de Janeiro and is meeting the local governor to discuss new projects.