ESG Projects Worth Talking About
A handful of inspiring initiatives from Brazil
Biodiversity conservation at the Paulínia site, by Solvay (Rhodia)
“Paulínia is preceded by its reputation as the site with the largest CO2 capture project in Latin America, re-burning 4.5 million tons of equivalent CO2 per year. This is known as 'Project Angela.' Our site is 95% carbon neutral, and we are soon closing the loop to make it 100% net zero. Solvay’s Paulina is also well recognized for its success in preserving biodiversity. We continued to operate the site as a farm, using only 15% of the land for industrial activities while preserving the rest as native forest.”
Daniela Manique, CEO Latam & President Global Business Coatis, Solvay (Rhodia)
Collaborations with waste picker cooperatives, by Dow
“Connecting circularity with social impact, we run an initiative called 'Recycling for a Change,' in collaboration with start-up Boomera LAR and NGO Fundación Avina. As part of this program, we strengthened the expertise of waste picker cooperatives, which divide the profits among workers. More than 214 families are now involved in this project in São Paulo, and productivity climbed by 70% shortly after implementing the program. The waste gathered by the workers is used as raw material for the PCR resins.”
Javier Constante, President, Dow Latin America
Funding teenage education, by Química Anastacio
“On the social side, we are running 10 projects, the most important being the program in partnership with Instituto Alicerce where we are funding education for 100 teenagers. To maximize our impact, we are asking our suppliers to join the project. Education is what Brazil most needs, and this is why the 'S' leg of our ESG will be education. There are many opportunities to help, at low investment and with immense impact.”
Jan Krueder, CEO, Química Anastacio
Investing in sanitation in the Brazilian slums, by Unipar
“Sanitation is a big problem in the Brazilian slums, with hundreds of communities living without running water or sewage systems, so we became involved in a program to map out those challenges and build bathrooms and sewage systems for different communities. Our plan is to invest around BRL 1.4 billion by 2030 in projects that permeate sustainability and are already in progress or that we will implement in the company.”
Mauricio Russomanno, CEO, Unipar
Cultural activites for youth development, by Vopak
“Vopak Brazil through the ‘Vopak WeConnect Foundation’ has empowered young people in our local communities. For example, in Vila Alemoa, a poor neighbourhood close to our terminal in Santos, we have organized 28 activities in sports, culture, and education, involving 3,600 individuals. The 'Go Alemoa Go' is designed to support young people between 10 and 24 years old, improving their future opportunities in a socially vulnerable district. Started in 2018, the project is here to stay. We can only see the impact by being there for the long run.”
Ignacio González Crende, President, Vopak Brazil
Waste collection project, by ExxonMobil
“In 2022, ExxonMobil started to support the YouGreen Cooperative in Manaus, Brazil. The US$65,000 allocated by our company will help the cooperative to buy new equipment, improve working conditions, and boost capacity, with a forecast to recycle 100 tons of waste/month; this will triple the income of collectors in the capital of the Amazonas state.”
Ana Cristina Paiva, Polyethylene Regional Sales Manager (Latin America), ExxonMobil
