This year, Earth Day (April 22) occurs and just before the implementation of new rules in Brazil that require companies to care for their associates’ mental health (May 25).  

AlmapBBDO and The Global Compact Country Network Brazil, a United Nations initiative, have seized the moment to launch Earth’s Burnout to warn about the dire consequences of climate change and encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices.

With the background that the number of work leaves due to professional burnout in Brazil has increased by nearly 1,000% over the past decade — according to 2024 data from the Brazilian Ministry of Labor, they are inviting companies to endorse the planet as unfit to work. The declaration comes from science itself, Carlos Nobre, a globally-recognised Brazilian climatologist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and Dr Paulo Saldiva, full professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of São Paulo’s School of Medicine.

The initiative includes the results of the planet’s physical from electrocardiogram to endoscopy, cortisol levels and muscle biopsy. According to a 2024 study by ecologist William Ripple, 25 of the planet’s so-called 35 vital signs are at record levels of deterioration. If the Earth were a human being, the data, scientific research, and extreme events happening around the world would confirm — like medical tests — that the planet is sick and in need of a break.

The initiative aims to raise awareness within the private sector and encourage participation in the Global Compact – Brazil Network, where companies commit to corporate sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By signing the Earth’s Burnout Certificate, companies formalise their commitment and begin contributing to concrete changes in the fight against global warming.