ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Bob Langert - Corporate sustainability expert
Bob Langert consults, writes and speaks about corporate sustainability, showing how companies can successfully navigate and manage today’s controversial societal issues, become better corporate citizens and make their businesses stronger, more relevant and more profitable.

Why you should listen

As VP of sustainability at McDonald's, Bob Langert shaped the restaurant chain's commitment to the environment, supply chain sustainability and balanced menu choices. After retiring from McDonald's in 2015, Langert joined the GreenBiz Group, writing a regular column ("The Inside View"). He has advised several organizations on sustainability strategies, including the National Pork Council, Big Dutchman, Cadbury, Shell and Corteva. He is a popular speaker who has addressed audiences that include the Sustainable Agricultural Alliance, the United Egg Producers and the American Feed Industry Association.

In January 2019, Langert published The Battle to Do Good; Inside McDonald's Sustainability Journey. Based on his 25 years leading McDonald's sustainability and corporate responsibility efforts, Langert shares how he helped address some of the most significant societal issues of our times -- obesity, waste and packaging, deforestation in the Amazon, animal well-being and much more. The Economist wrote: "The Battle to Do Good: Inside McDonald's Sustainability Journey is a must-read even for those who are cynical about the business of corporate social responsibility."

From the late 80s, McDonald's landed smack in the middle of one contentious issue after another, often locking horns with powerful NGOs such as Greenpeace, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Corporate Accountability. This sudden shift from being the beloved Golden Arches since opening its doors in 1955, to the demon of many societal ills, caught McDonald's off guard. Langert chronicles the highs and lows that McDonald's experienced in turbulent times and how its sustainability journey evolved from playing defense to strategically solving issues with unlikely partners, including a whirling dervish, autistic animal scientist and avid environmentalists from the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International. 

More profile about the speaker
Bob Langert | Speaker | TED.com
TEDSummit 2019

Bob Langert: The business case for working with your toughest critics

Bob Langert: O "case" de negócios para trabalhar com seus críticos mais ferrenhos

Filmed:
1,288,298 views

Como um "engravatado empresarial" (em suas próprias palavras) e ex-vice-presidente de sustentabilidade do McDonald's, Bob Langert, trabalha com empresas e seus críticos mais ferozes na busca de soluções que sejam boas para os negócios e a sociedade. Nesta palestra voltada para a ação, ele compartilha histórias da transição de décadas para a sustentabilidade corporativa no McDonald's, incluindo seu trabalho com parceiros improváveis, ​​como o Fundo de Defesa Ambiental e a Dra. Temple Grandin, e mostra por que nossos adversários às vezes podem ser nossos melhores aliados.
- Corporate sustainability expert
Bob Langert consults, writes and speaks about corporate sustainability, showing how companies can successfully navigate and manage today’s controversial societal issues, become better corporate citizens and make their businesses stronger, more relevant and more profitable. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

Quem se lembra dessa infame
embalagem de isopor?
00:13
Who remembers this
infamous Styrofoam container?
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00:17
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
00:20
Well, it sure changed me,
it changed my company,
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Ela sem dúvida mudou a mim,
mudou minha empresa
00:23
and it started a revelatory journey
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e precipitou uma jornada reveladora
00:25
about how adversaries
can be your best allies.
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sobre como os adversários
podem ser nossos melhores aliados.
00:29
You know, back in the late '80s,
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No final dos anos 1980,
00:31
this Big Mac clamshell
was the symbol of a garbage crisis.
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esta embalagem do Big Mac
foi o símbolo de uma crise sobre o lixo.
00:36
People were really angry.
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As pessoas estavam bem irritadas.
00:38
For example, thousands of students,
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Por exemplo, milhares de jovens estudantes
00:40
young students around the globe
were sending letters, blaming McDonald's,
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do mundo todo enviavam cartas,
culpando o McDonald's,
00:44
because we were using
millions of these at that time.
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porque usávamos milhões
dessas embalagens na época.
00:48
Now, no one at McDonald's knew anything
about environmentally friendly packaging,
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E ninguém no McDonald's sabia nada
sobre embalagens ecológicas,
00:52
including me.
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inclusive eu.
00:54
The last 10 years,
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Nos dez anos anteriores,
00:55
I was in charge of logistics
and truck drivers.
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tinha sido encarregado da logística
e dos motoristas de caminhão.
00:58
Then out of nowhere, my boss comes to me
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Então, do nada, meu chefe chega pra mim
e diz: "Olha, queremos que você salve
esta embalagem de poliestireno pra empresa
01:00
and says, "Hey, we want you
to save this clamshell for the company
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01:05
and lead the effort to reduce waste
within McDonald's."
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e encabece o esforço para reduzir
os resíduos dentro do McDonald's".
01:10
I looked at him and I asked him,
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Olhei pra ele e perguntei:
01:12
"What is polystyrene?"
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"O que é poliestireno?"
(Risos)
01:15
But it all sounded intriguing to me
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Mas aquilo me soou intrigante,
01:18
because it brought me back to my roots.
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porque me levou de volta às minhas raízes.
01:25
You see, I grew up
in the late '60s, early '70s,
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Vejam só, cresci no final
dos anos 60, início dos anos 70,
01:28
in a time of huge social upheaval
in the United States.
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numa época de grande agitação social
nos Estados Unidos.
01:33
And I was really in tune
with the protests, the sit-ins,
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E eu era bem ligado
nos mais diversos tipos de protestos,
01:36
the anti-Vietnam sentiment,
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o sentimento anti-Vietnã,
01:38
and I really felt there was a need
to question authority.
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e sentia que havia uma necessidade
enorme de questionar a autoridade.
01:42
But as I went into university,
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No entanto, ao entrar pra universidade,
01:45
I realized that I'm not
going to make a living doing this.
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percebi que não ia ganhar
a vida protestando.
01:49
And that whole movement had subsided,
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Além disso, todo esse movimento
já havia diminuído,
01:52
and my activist spirit went dormant.
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e meu espírito ativista ficou adormecido.
01:55
And I needed to make a living,
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Bem, eu precisava trabalhar,
01:57
so I got involved in the business world.
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e me envolvi no mundo dos negócios.
01:59
So, now these students against pollution,
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Por isso, aqueles estudantes
contrários à poluição,
02:02
who were sending those
protest letters to McDonald's,
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que enviavam essas cartas
de protesto ao McDonald's,
02:05
they reminded me of myself 20 years ago.
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me lembraram de mim mesmo 20 anos antes.
02:10
They're questioning authority.
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Eles estavam questionando a autoridade.
02:12
But now, I'm the man.
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Só que agora o "alvo" era eu.
02:14
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
02:16
I'm the corporate suit.
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Eu era o engravatado.
02:19
I'm the one representing authority.
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O cara que representava a autoridade.
02:22
And this new thing was emerging
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E à época estava surgindo
02:24
called corporate social responsibility,
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a chamada responsabilidade
social corporativa,
02:26
later corporate sustainability,
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que virou sustentabilidade corporativa,
02:28
and now I had a chance
to make a difference.
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e vi que ali eu teria
a chance de fazer a diferença.
02:33
So the beginning of this journey
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Assim, essa jornada
02:35
started when McDonald's agreed
to a partnership
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começou quando o McDonald's
concordou com uma parceria
02:38
with the Environmental Defense Fund.
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com o Fundo de Defesa Ambiental, o EDF.
02:40
They were an NGO
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Eles eram uma ONG
02:42
that was founded with the principle
of "sue the bastards."
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fundada com o princípio
de "processar os sacanas".
02:47
So I'm thinking,
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E logo fiquei imaginando:
02:49
what are they thinking
about me and my team?
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"O que será que eles pensam
sobre mim e minha equipe?"
02:52
When I first met Richard Denison,
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Quando fui conhecer o Richard Denison,
02:54
he's the senior scientist for EDF,
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que era o cientista sênior da EDF,
02:58
I was very apprehensive.
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eu estava muito apreensivo.
03:00
I thought he's a tree-hugger,
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Pensei: "Ele é um abraçador de árvores,
03:02
and I'm thinking he thinks
all I care about is the money.
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e deve achar que só penso em dinheiro".
03:05
So we wanted the EDF team
to give us real-world solutions.
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Mas queríamos a equipe do EDF
para nos dar soluções pé no chão.
03:10
So we did the logical thing.
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Daí fizemos a coisa mais lógica.
03:13
We had them flip burgers
in our restaurants.
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Nós os colocamos pra fritar hambúrguer
em nossos restaurantes.
03:17
So you have to imagine Richard,
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Imaginem só o Richard,
03:19
who, by the way, is a PhD in physics,
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que aliás é doutor em física,
03:22
and there he is, he's trying
to dress a quarter-pounder,
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tentando preparar um hambúrguer grande,
03:24
and you're supposed to have
two squirts of ketchup, one mustard,
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tendo de colocar dois jatos
de ketchup, um de mostarda,
03:27
three pickles and an onion,
go on to the next one,
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três picles, cebola, e passar pro próximo,
e tudo isso muito rápido.
03:30
you've got to be so fast.
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03:31
And you know what?
He couldn't get it right all day long.
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Ele não conseguiu fazer
nenhum direito o dia todo.
03:34
And he was frustrated.
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E ficou bem frustrado.
03:35
And I was so impressed,
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Mas eu fiquei muito impressionado,
03:38
because he was trying
to understand our business.
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porque ele estava tentando
entender o nosso negócio.
No fim, a equipe do EDF
03:43
Now, the EDF team,
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03:44
they thought reusables
were the holy grail for our business.
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concluiu que os reutilizáveis
seriam o Santo Graal do nosso negócio.
03:49
Me and my team thought, reusables?
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Minha equipe e eu logo
pensamos: "Reutilizáveis?
03:52
Too much space, they'd make a mess,
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Exigem espaço demais, vai virar
uma bagunça e atrasar nosso trabalho".
03:54
they would slow us down.
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03:56
But we didn't reject the idea.
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Mas não rejeitamos a ideia.
03:58
We went to the restaurant they chose
outside DC, we went to the back room.
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Visitamos um restaurante em DC, que eles
escolheram, e fomos para os fundos.
04:03
The dishwasher wasn't working properly,
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A lava-louças não funcionava
direito, saía tudo mal lavado,
04:05
it's spitting out dirty dishes.
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04:07
The kitchen area is dirty and grimy.
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e a área da cozinha era suja e encardida.
Comparada com a experiência deles
no McDonald's, que é limpo e organizado,
04:10
And compared to their
experience at McDonald's
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04:12
that's clean and organized,
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04:13
they could see the stark difference.
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eles puderam ver a diferença gritante.
04:16
We also sat in a restaurant
at McDonald's, all day long,
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Também sentamos num McDonald's o dia todo
04:19
and watched the customers eating in.
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e observamos os clientes comendo,
04:22
Their behavior.
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o comportamento deles.
04:24
Ends up that many customers
left with the food,
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Vimos que muitos saíam com a comida,
04:26
they left with the beverage.
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iam embora com a bebida.
04:28
And EDF came to their own conclusion
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E o próprio EDF chegou à conclusão
04:31
that reusables wouldn't work for us.
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de que os reutilizáveis
não iam funcionar para nós.
04:34
But they did have
a lot of ideas that did work.
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Mas eles deram muitas ideias
que acabaram funcionando.
04:37
And we never would have thought
of them by ourselves,
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E nunca teríamos pensado nelas sozinhos,
04:40
without the EDF team.
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sem a equipe do EDF.
04:42
My favorite was switching
from the white carry-out bag
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Minha favorita foi a troca
da cor do saco para viagem
04:46
to the brown bag.
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de branco para marrom.
04:54
We had been using the white bag.
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Usávamos um saco branco.
04:57
It's virgin material,
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Era material virgem,
04:59
it's made from chlorine
bleaching chemicals,
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alvejado com cloro,
05:02
and they said, use an unbleached bag,
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e eles sugeriram: "Usem
um saco sem alvejantes,
05:05
no chemicals.
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sem produtos químicos.
05:07
It's made from recycled content,
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É feito de conteúdo reciclado,
05:09
mostly recycled shipping corrugated boxes.
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principalmente caixas
de papelão ondulado reciclado".
05:12
Ends up that the bag is stronger,
the fiber is stronger,
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E resultou que o saco era mais forte,
a fibra era mais forte,
05:15
it didn't cost us more money.
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e não nos custou mais dinheiro.
05:17
It was win-win.
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Todos saíram ganhando.
05:24
Another idea they had
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Outra ideia que eles tiveram
05:27
was that we could reduce
our napkin by one inch.
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foi que deveríamos reduzir
2,5 cm do nosso guardanapo
05:30
And make it from recycled office paper.
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e fabricá-lo com papel
reciclado de escritório.
05:34
I'm thinking, one inch, no big deal.
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Pensei: "Só 2,5 cm não tem problema".
05:37
We did it, it reduced waste
by three million pounds a year.
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Fizemos, e isso reduziu os resíduos
em 1,3 milhão de quilos por ano.
05:41
Sixteen thousand trees saved.
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Ou seja, 16 mil árvores salvas.
05:44
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
05:48
What was really cool
is we changed that bright white napkin,
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O mais legal foi que mudamos
aquele guardanapo branco brilhante,
05:52
because the recycled content
became gray and speckled.
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pois o conteúdo reciclado
ficou cinza e manchado,
05:56
And we made that look, you know,
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e fizemos um visual
05:58
in tune, in vogue with customers.
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em sintonia com os clientes.
06:02
So, I came to really enjoy
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Então, acabei gostando muito
06:06
the time working with the EDF team.
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do tempo em que trabalhei
com a equipe do EDF.
06:09
We had many dinners,
late-night discussions,
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Tivemos muitos jantares, discussões
tarde da noite, fomos a um jogo juntos...
06:11
we went to a ball game together.
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Nós nos tornamos amigos.
06:13
We became friends.
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E foi aí que aprendi uma lição:
06:16
And that's when I learned a life lesson.
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06:18
That these NGO crusaders,
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que aqueles militantes de ONGs
06:21
they're really no different than me.
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não eram diferentes de mim.
06:23
They care, they have passion,
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Eles se importavam,
tinham paixão pelo que faziam;
06:26
we're just not different.
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não éramos diferentes.
06:28
So, we had a six-month partnership
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Assim, tivemos uma parceria de 6 meses
06:30
that ended up producing a 42-point
waste reduction action plan.
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que acabou produzindo um plano de ação
com 42 pontos para redução de resíduos,
06:34
To reduce, reuse, recycle.
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para reduzir, reutilizar, reciclar.
06:37
We measured it during
the decade of the '90s,
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Fizemos uma medição
durante a década de 1990
06:39
and over 10 years we reduced
300 million pounds of waste.
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e, em cerca de 10 anos, reduzimos
136 milhões de quilos de resíduos.
06:46
Now, if you're wondering
about that polystyrene clamshell,
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E se estão se perguntando
sobre aquela embalagem de poliestireno,
06:50
yeah, we ditched it.
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sim, nós a abandonamos.
06:51
And luckily, I still had a job.
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E ainda por cima não perdi meu emprego.
06:55
And this partnership was so successful
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E foi uma parceria tão bem-sucedida
06:59
that we went on to recycle
the idea to work with critics.
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que passamos a reciclar
a ideia de trabalhar com críticos,
07:04
Collaborate with them
on solutions that could work
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nos unir a eles em soluções
que poderiam funcionar
07:06
for society and for business.
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para a sociedade e para os negócios.
07:10
But could this idea of collaborating
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Mas será que essa colaboração
07:14
work with the most contrarian folks?
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funcionaria com pessoas mais antagônicas?
07:17
And on issues that are, you know,
not within our direct control.
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E com questões que não estavam
sob nosso controle direto,
07:21
Like animal rights.
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como os direitos dos animais?
07:24
Now, animal rights,
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Organizações assim
07:25
obviously they don't want
animals used for meat.
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obviamente não concordam
com o abate de animais para consumo.
07:28
McDonald's, probably
the biggest purchaser of meat
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O McDonald's é provavelmente
o maior comprador de carne
07:30
in the food service industry.
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na indústria de alimentação.
07:32
So there's a natural conflict there.
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Portanto, havia um conflito natural ali.
07:34
But I thought it would be best
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Mas pensei que seria melhor
07:36
to go visit and learn from
the most vociferous and vigilant critics
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conhecê-los e aprender
com os críticos mais ferozes e vigilantes
07:41
we had at that time,
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que tínhamos naquele tempo,
07:43
which were Henry Spira,
head of Animal Rights International,
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que eram Henry Spira,
chefe da Animal Rights International,
07:47
and Peter Singer,
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e Peter Singer,
07:48
who wrote the book "Animal Liberation,"
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que escreveu o livro "Libertação Animal",
07:50
which is considered the modern treatise
about animal rights.
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considerado o tratado moderno
sobre os direitos dos animais.
07:55
You know, I read Peter's book to prepare,
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Li o livro do Peter para me preparar,
07:57
I tried to get into his mindset,
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tentar entender seu modo de pensar
07:59
and I have to admit, it was tough,
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e, tenho de admitir, foi difícil...
eu não ia virar vegano,
08:00
I'm not becoming a vegan,
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minha empresa não ia seguir nessa direção,
08:03
my company wasn't going that way.
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08:05
But I really thought we could learn a lot.
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mas pensei que poderíamos aprender muito.
08:07
And so I set up a breakfast meeting
in New York City.
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Então marquei um café de negócios
na cidade de Nova York.
08:10
And I remember sitting down,
getting ready,
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E lembro que, sentado lá, me preparando,
08:13
and I decided I'm not
going to order my favorite,
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decidi que não ia pedir
meu café da manhã favorito,
08:15
which is you know, bacon
and sausage and eggs.
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que dá pra imaginar qual é:
bacon, linguiça e ovos.
08:17
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
08:20
And I'm just going to stick
to the pastries.
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Eu ia comer só bolo e biscoitos.
08:22
But I have to admit,
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Mas, tenho de admitir,
08:24
I was waiting for the adversarial
discussion to happen.
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eu já estava esperando
uma discussão acalorada.
08:27
And it never did.
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E isso nunca aconteceu.
08:29
Henry and Peter were just gracious,
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2726
Henry e Peter eram perfeitamente gentis,
08:32
they were caring, they were smart,
they asked good questions.
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atenciosos, inteligentes,
fizeram perguntas interessantes...
08:35
I told them about
how working on animal welfare
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Expliquei que a questão do bem-estar
animal era complicada para o McDonald's,
08:38
is very tough for McDonald's
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08:39
because our direct suppliers,
they only make meat patties.
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uma vez que nossos fornecedores diretos
só moldavam a carne do hambúrguer.
08:43
The animals are three or four steps
removed from our influence.
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Os animais estavam três ou quatro etapas
distantes da nossa influência.
08:47
And they were very empathetic.
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E eles foram muito empáticos.
08:49
And while we were so directly opposed
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Apesar do fato de estarmos
em posições tão opostas
08:52
in terms of the missions
of our organizations,
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em termos da missão
das nossas organizações,
senti que tinha aprendido muito.
08:55
I felt that I had learned a lot.
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08:57
And best of all, they gave me
a terrific recommendation.
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E o melhor de tudo, eles me deram
uma excelente recomendação.
09:01
And that is, they said,
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Me falaram:
09:02
"You should work with Dr. Temple Grandin."
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"Vocês deviam trabalhar
com a Dra. Temple Grandin".
09:05
Now, I didn't know her at the time.
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Eu não a conhecia à época,
09:08
But I tell you,
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mas vou dizer uma coisa,
09:09
she's the most renowned expert,
then and now, on animal behavior.
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ela é a especialista mais renomada,
então e agora, em comportamento animal.
09:14
And she knows how animals move
and how they should react in facilities.
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Ela sabe como os animais
se deslocam e reagem em currais.
09:19
So I end up meeting her,
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Daí, acabei conhecendo-a,
09:21
and she's the very best type of critic,
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3226
e ela é o melhor tipo
de crítico que existe,
09:24
in a sense that
she just loves the animals,
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2226
no sentido de que ela simplesmente
ama os animais e quer protegê-los,
09:26
wants to protect them,
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mas também entende
a realidade do negócio da carne.
09:28
but she also understands
the reality of the meat business.
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09:31
And I'll always remember,
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E nunca me esqueço...
09:33
I had never been
to a slaughterhouse in my life,
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eu nunca tinha estado
num matadouro na vida...
09:36
and so I go with her for my first trip.
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e então fui, pela primeira vez, com ela.
09:38
I didn't know what to expect.
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2018
Eu não sabia o que esperar.
09:40
And we find that the animal handlers
have electric prods in their hands,
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5434
Descobrimos que os manejadores do gado
têm bastões elétricos nas mãos,
09:46
and are basically zapping
almost every animal in the facility.
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5268
e basicamente dão choques
em quase todos os animais no curral.
09:51
We're both appalled,
she's jumping up and down,
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579292
3017
Nós dois ficamos horrorizados,
mas ela dava pulos de raiva
09:54
you'd have to know her,
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1268
dizendo: "Não é possível;
isto não está certo.
09:55
she's saying, "This can't be,
this isn't right,
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2191
Poderíamos usar bandeirinhas,
usar sacos plásticos,
09:57
we could use flags,
we could use plastic bags,
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585840
2143
redesenhar os currais para facilitar
o comportamento natural".
10:00
we could redesign the corrals
for natural behavior."
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3076
10:04
Well I set up Temple with our suppliers
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2101
Daí, reuni Temple com nossos fornecedores
10:06
to set up standards and guidelines.
203
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para estabelecer padrões e diretrizes,
10:09
And ways to measure her ideas
of implementing animal welfare.
204
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e maneiras de avaliar suas ideias
de implementar o bem-estar animal.
10:13
We did this for the next
two to five years.
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Fizemos isso nos dois
aos cinco anos seguintes.
10:15
And it all got integrated,
it all got enforced.
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E tudo foi integrado e implementado.
10:19
By the way, two of McDonald's
suppliers lost business
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Com isso, rompemos o contrato
com dois fornecedores
10:21
because they didn't meet our standards.
208
609583
1858
que não seguiram nosso padrão.
E o melhor de tudo:
10:23
And best of all,
209
611465
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todos esses parâmetros acabaram
se estendendo para toda a indústria,
10:24
all these standards ended up scaling
to the entire industry.
210
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4226
10:29
And no more zapping of those animals.
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e acabaram-se os choques nos animais.
10:32
Now, what about issues
that we're blamed for elsewhere?
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Bem, e quanto a outras questões,
em outras áreas, de que éramos acusados?
10:36
Like deforestation.
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2184
Como o desmatamento.
10:39
You know, on that issue, I always thought,
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627083
2018
Nessa questão, sempre achei que era papel
10:41
policy makers and government,
that's their role.
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629125
2976
dos gestores de políticas
públicas e do governo.
10:44
Never thought it would end up in my lap.
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632125
2851
Nunca achei que isso acabaria no meu colo.
10:47
But I remember in early April 2006,
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635000
2559
Mas ocorre que, em abril de 2006,
10:49
I opened up my Blackberry,
218
637583
2518
abri meu Blackberry
10:52
and I'm reading about
Greenpeace campaigners
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640125
3893
e li sobre ativistas do Greenpeace
10:56
showing up in the UK by the dozens,
220
644042
4142
no Reino Unido, aos montes,
11:00
dressed as chickens,
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648208
1976
fantasiados de galinhas,
11:02
having breakfast at McDonald's
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650208
2268
tomando café da manhã no McDonald's
11:04
and chaining themselves
to the chairs and tables.
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652500
3101
e se acorrentando às cadeiras e mesas.
Eles atraíram muita atenção,
11:07
So they got a lot of attention,
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1893
11:09
including mine.
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657542
1851
inclusive a minha.
11:11
And I was wondering if the report
that they had just released,
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2934
E eu quis saber mais sobre o relatório
recém-lançado por eles,
11:14
it was called "Eating Up the Amazon."
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2393
chamado "Comendo a Amazônia".
11:16
And by the way, soy
is a key ingredient for chicken feed,
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3392
A soja é um ingrediente-chave
na alimentação do frango,
11:20
and that's the connection to McDonald's.
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2518
e essa era a conexão com o McDonald's.
11:22
So I called my trusted friends
at the World Wildlife Fund,
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670750
3143
Então liguei pros meus amigos
no Fundo Mundial para a Natureza,
11:25
I called Conservation International,
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673917
2476
liguei para a Conservação Internacional,
11:28
and I soon learned that
the Greenpeace report was accurate.
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676417
5101
e logo descobri que o relatório
do Greenpeace era preciso.
Daí, consegui apoio da empresa
11:33
So I gathered internal support,
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681542
1726
11:35
and I'll always remember,
next day, after that campaign,
234
683292
3226
e, no dia seguinte, depois da campanha,
11:38
I called them up,
235
686542
1267
liguei para eles
11:39
and I said, "We agree with you."
236
687833
2334
e disse: "Concordamos com vocês".
11:43
And I said, "How about working together?"
237
691083
3268
E convidei: "Que tal trabalharmos juntos?"
11:46
So three days later,
238
694375
2643
Assim, três dias depois,
11:49
miraculously, four people from McDonald's,
239
697042
2184
como por milagre,
quatro pessoas do McDonald's
11:51
four people from Greenpeace,
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699250
1476
e quatro pessoas do Greenpeace
11:52
we're meeting in the London
Heathrow airport.
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700750
2768
nos reunimos no Aeroporto
de Heathrow, em Londres.
11:55
And I have to say,
the first hour was shaky,
242
703542
2934
E tenho de confessar
que a primeira hora foi estranha,
11:58
it wasn't a whole lot
of trust in the room.
243
706500
2351
não havia um clima de confiança na sala,
12:00
But it seemed like
everything came together,
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708875
3184
mas parecia que as peças se encaixavam,
12:04
because each of us
wanted to save the Amazon.
245
712083
4476
porque todos ali
queriam salvar a Amazônia.
12:08
And during our discussions,
246
716583
1351
E durante nossas discussões
12:09
you couldn't really tell, I don't think,
247
717958
2268
não dava pra saber, acho,
12:12
who was from Greenpeace
and who was from McDonald's.
248
720250
3917
quem era do Greenpeace
e quem era do McDonald's.
12:17
So one of the best things we did
249
725458
2101
E uma das melhores coisas que fizemos
12:19
is we traveled with them for nine days
on a trip through the Amazon,
250
727583
4851
foi uma viagem com eles,
durante nove dias, pela Amazônia,
12:24
on the Greenpeace airplane,
on the Greenpeace boat.
251
732458
3601
no avião e no barco do Greenpeace.
12:28
And I'll always remember,
252
736083
2518
E nunca vou me esquecer,
12:30
imagine traveling hundreds
of miles west of Manaus,
253
738625
3351
imaginem, viajar centenas
de quilômetros a oeste de Manaus,
12:34
the capital city of the Amazon.
254
742000
2643
a capital do estado do Amazonas.
12:36
And it's so pristine beauty,
255
744667
1934
E é uma beleza tão intocada,
12:38
there's no man-made structures,
there's no roads,
256
746625
2726
não há estruturas artificiais,
não há estradas,
12:41
not one wire, not one house.
257
749375
2101
nem um fio, nem uma casa.
12:43
You would travel east of Manaus
258
751500
2309
Mas, quando viajamos a leste de Manaus,
12:45
and you would see the blatant
rainforest destruction.
259
753833
3625
vemos a flagrante
destruição da floresta tropical.
12:50
So this very unlikely collaboration
produced outstanding results.
260
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6267
Assim, essa colaboração tão improvável
produziu excelentes resultados.
12:56
By working together,
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1268
Trabalhando juntos,
12:58
we recruited over a dozen
other retailers and suppliers
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766125
4018
engajamos mais de uma dúzia
de outros varejistas e fornecedores
13:02
for the same cause.
263
770167
2017
na mesma causa.
13:04
And by the way, within three months,
264
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2476
E, em três meses,
13:06
a moratorium on these
clear-cutting practices
265
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3101
uma moratória sobre essas práticas
de extração ilegal
13:09
was announced by the industry.
266
777833
2435
foi anunciada pela indústria.
13:12
And Greenpeace themselves declared it
as a spectacular drop in deforestation
267
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5059
E o próprio Greenpeace declarou
uma queda espetacular no desmatamento,
13:17
and it's been in effect ever since.
268
785375
2125
que está em vigor desde então.
13:20
Now, you think these types
of collaborations that I've described
269
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3059
Bem, imagina-se que esses tipos
de colaboração que descrevi
13:24
would be commonplace today.
270
792000
2351
sejam comuns hoje em dia.
13:26
But they're not.
271
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1393
Mas não são.
13:27
When organizations are battered,
272
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2476
Quando as empresas são atacadas,
13:30
the common response
is to deny and push back,
273
798292
3767
a reação em geral é negar e rebater,
13:34
put out some sort of lame statement
274
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2060
soltar algum tipo de declaração tosca,
13:36
and no progress is made at all.
275
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2726
e nenhum progresso é feito.
13:38
I say the alternative is really powerful.
276
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2851
Posso afirmar que a colaboração
é realmente poderosa.
13:41
I mean, it's not going to fix
every problem,
277
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2226
Quero dizer, não vai resolver tudo,
13:44
and there's more to do for sure,
278
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1851
e certamente há mais a se fazer,
13:45
but this idea of working with critics
279
813917
2559
mas essa ideia de trabalhar com críticos
13:48
and trying to do more good for society
280
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2684
e tentar fazer mais bem à sociedade,
13:51
that actually is good for business,
281
819208
1976
o que na verdade é bom para os negócios,
13:53
believe me, it's possible.
282
821208
2560
acreditem em mim, é possível.
13:55
But it starts with the idea
283
823792
1934
Mas começa com a ideia
13:57
that you need to assume
the best intentions of your critics.
284
825750
5143
de que precisamos acreditar
nas melhores intenções de nossos críticos.
14:02
Just like you have the best intentions.
285
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2851
Assim como temos as melhores intenções.
14:05
And then secondly,
286
833792
1392
E, em segundo lugar,
14:07
you need to look past
a lot of these tactics.
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835208
2310
precisamos olhar além
de muitas dessas táticas.
14:09
I admit, I did not like
a lot of the tactics
288
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3809
Admito que não gostei
de muitas das táticas
14:13
used on my company.
289
841375
1726
usadas contra minha empresa.
14:15
But instead, focus on what the truth is,
290
843125
3143
Mas, em vez disso,
concentrem-se na verdade,
14:18
what's the right thing to do,
291
846292
1559
na coisa certa a se fazer,
14:19
what's the science, what's the facts.
292
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3059
na ciência, nos fatos.
14:22
And lastly, you know, I would say,
293
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2268
E, por último, eu diria:
14:25
give the critics the keys.
294
853250
2434
temos de abrir as portas aos críticos,
mostrar a eles os bastidores.
14:27
Show them the back room.
295
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2101
14:29
Bring them there, don't hide the details,
296
857833
1976
Não escondam os detalhes,
14:31
because if you want allies and support,
297
859833
2518
porque, se quisermos aliados e apoio,
14:34
you need to be open and transparent.
298
862375
2417
precisamos ser abertos e transparentes.
14:38
Now, whether you're a corporate suit,
299
866208
2851
Seja você um engravatado,
14:41
whether you're a tree-hugger,
300
869083
1935
ou um abraçador de árvores,
14:43
I say the next time you're criticized,
301
871042
2767
da próxima vez que for criticado,
14:45
reach out, listen, learn.
302
873833
2476
procure ajuda, escute, aprenda.
14:48
You'll become better,
your organization will become better,
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3268
Você vai ser melhor,
sua organização vai se tornar melhor,
14:51
and you might make
some good friends along the way.
304
879625
3434
e você ainda poderá fazer bons amigos
ao longo do caminho.
14:55
Thank you.
305
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1268
Obrigado.
14:56
(Applause)
306
884375
2333
(Aplausos)
Translated by Raissa Mendes
Reviewed by Maricene Crus

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Bob Langert - Corporate sustainability expert
Bob Langert consults, writes and speaks about corporate sustainability, showing how companies can successfully navigate and manage today’s controversial societal issues, become better corporate citizens and make their businesses stronger, more relevant and more profitable.

Why you should listen

As VP of sustainability at McDonald's, Bob Langert shaped the restaurant chain's commitment to the environment, supply chain sustainability and balanced menu choices. After retiring from McDonald's in 2015, Langert joined the GreenBiz Group, writing a regular column ("The Inside View"). He has advised several organizations on sustainability strategies, including the National Pork Council, Big Dutchman, Cadbury, Shell and Corteva. He is a popular speaker who has addressed audiences that include the Sustainable Agricultural Alliance, the United Egg Producers and the American Feed Industry Association.

In January 2019, Langert published The Battle to Do Good; Inside McDonald's Sustainability Journey. Based on his 25 years leading McDonald's sustainability and corporate responsibility efforts, Langert shares how he helped address some of the most significant societal issues of our times -- obesity, waste and packaging, deforestation in the Amazon, animal well-being and much more. The Economist wrote: "The Battle to Do Good: Inside McDonald's Sustainability Journey is a must-read even for those who are cynical about the business of corporate social responsibility."

From the late 80s, McDonald's landed smack in the middle of one contentious issue after another, often locking horns with powerful NGOs such as Greenpeace, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Corporate Accountability. This sudden shift from being the beloved Golden Arches since opening its doors in 1955, to the demon of many societal ills, caught McDonald's off guard. Langert chronicles the highs and lows that McDonald's experienced in turbulent times and how its sustainability journey evolved from playing defense to strategically solving issues with unlikely partners, including a whirling dervish, autistic animal scientist and avid environmentalists from the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International. 

More profile about the speaker
Bob Langert | Speaker | TED.com

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