BrazilKPMG to hold 7th annual LATAM Energy and Natural Resources event in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is set to hold an event showcasing the future of energy and natural resources in Latin America this Thursday.The day-long conference will feature talks from 31 speakers at the forefront of digital change across the sector and innovation including keynote speakers, panelists and KPMG’s own thought leaders.
Latin America’s history is intertwined with its natural resources. From the first settlements of Europeans in the New World, the exploitation of American natural resources has been important to every economy located on the continent. Whilst today, the resources may have changed – from gold to rubber and grains to oil and iron ore – value from commodities still account for a large part of Latin economies.
Latin America is home to two of the world’s ten wealthiest countries when looking at unexploited natural resources. Venezuela has a wealth of natural gas, iron ore and one of the world’s largest proven oil reserves whilst Brazil has large deposits of oil, gold and uranium and currently exports over 12 percent of the world’s timber. The two are not alone in their natural wealth however, with Mexico and almost all of the larger South American nations being net commodity exporters according to the World Bank Group.
Yet, the sector has been hit by dramatic shifts in public policy, market volatility and technological disruption in recent years. As the demand rises for renewable energy and the technology becomes more price competitive, a market has opened up throughout the region. However, it’s not the only one. Industry 4.0 technologies have created a new ecosystem wherein the playing field no longer resembles what it did 50 years ago.
To keep up with these industry game-changes, KPMG have organized an event that will allow industry leaders from across the continent to come together and discuss the biggest challenges they face as well as the significant opportunities looking towards the future.
The Conference on Energy and Natural Resources of Latin America or ERN 2018 is the 7th annual conference to be held by KPMG and has become a starting point for dialogue and energy policy throughout the region. Last year, the invite-only event drew 1,700 executives and influencers from across the Americas. The Big Four consulting firm labelsthe event as a strategic meeting for decision-makers.
Key topics throughout the event will include the drive for renewable energy and how executives must innovate to achieve lasting sustainability, technological disruption causing new marketplaces in the energy domain, and regional geopolitical challenges causing business disruption.
The program, which will take place at the Belmond Copacabana Palace on the 30th of August, will be opened by Manuel Fernandes, KPMG partner in Energy and Natural Resources in Brazil. He will be joined by executives from Siemens and Brookfield Renewable Energy Group, as well as keynote speakers Christopher Garman, Director for the Americas of Eurasia Group, and influential Brazilian consultant, academic and digital transformation specialist Martha Gabriel.
The schedule will begin with a lecture on global perspectives for the energy sector, followed by a second lecture on the geopolitical scenario in Latin America, intertwined by panel discussions. Before lunch, there will be a panel on digital transformation: agility, the only controllable variable.
After the midday break, there will be a grand total of three Breakout Sessions which encompass a range of industry-wide topics including power and utilities, oil and gas, and disruption: technologies and new business models. Finishing up will be a lecture on innovation and digital transformation by Martha Gabriel. Martiniano Lopes, Partner with KPMG Energy and Natural Resources in Latin America, will close the conference.
