Check out the CEBDS member companies that stood out in the topics analyzed by the 2019 Exame Sustainability Guide:
Renner and water management
A Renner brings its headquarters' water-reduction practices to its stores. Lojas Renner's administrative headquarters are located in a 35,000 m² building, which welcomes 1,300 people daily. The building adheres to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system, which ensures resource savings from construction to operation.
Renner estimates a reduction in energy consumption of around 55% compared to a conventional building. "Based on what we learned from our headquarters, we've adopted the same practices in store construction and renovations," says Eduardo Ferlauto, senior sustainability manager at Lojas Renner.
More than 100 stores already follow the new practices, out of a total of 582 units in the chain. Now, Renner wants to bring water management to its supply chain. Since 2013, the company has been developing sustainability programs with its jeans manufacturers, suggesting improvements, such as the use of chemicals that allow for less water consumption. In 2018, Renner also launched the Re Jeans collection, featuring pieces made with yarn reused from fabric scraps. This reduced water consumption by 44%, according to its own analysis.
Natura and sustainability governance
A Natura has sustainability goals set for 2020. Of these, 69% were already met in 2018. There are 30 commitments on topics such as carbon footprint and the presence of women in leadership positions. According to Luciana Villa Nova, Natura's sustainability manager, "it's like a pointer that tells us where we are on the path, how far we have to go, and what's still missing."
An executive committee, comprised of the president and eight vice presidents, monitors progress on the commitments made. The group, along with the employees involved in each initiative, receives performance data to determine potential adjustments. "We strive to integrate activities into strategic planning. Thus, along with managing the index, we also manage the business itself," says João Paulo Ferreira, president of Natura.
CPFL and its relationship with the community
The Group CPFL Energia seeks to make a positive impact wherever it operates (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, and Minas Gerais). In 2018, the CPFL Institute, the group's social investment platform, allocated R$32 million to social, environmental, educational, and cultural initiatives in local communities. "The investments directly benefited approximately 430,000 people in 106 municipalities," says Mário Mazzilli, managing director of the CPFL Institute.
The institute's initiatives range from races to raise awareness of specific causes and solar-powered movie screenings (Cine Solar), to cultural initiatives, such as the inauguration of four mobile libraries, and initiatives to help with transformative initiatives, such as workforce training.
Another initiative is CPFL University, which offers free training programs, developed in partnership with technical institutions, to the communities where it operates. The main initiative is the Electricians' School project, a free professional training course that has already qualified 424 students. Of the total professionals trained, 881 TP3T have joined CPFL Energia's workforce. The company also offers training for electrical system pruners and designers.
According to Mazzilli, CPFL Energia continually invests in initiatives that benefit the community. "In the future, the company will continue investing in 106 cities within the group's area of interest, focusing on programs for children, youth, and the elderly in situations of risk and social vulnerability."
AMBEV and climate change
A Ambev By 2023, the company aims to have one-third of the trucks distributing its products electric. If this occurs, the company will have the largest fleet of electric trucks in the world: 1,600 of the 4,800 currently in circulation. The project, which began in 2018 with Latin America's first electric-powered 100% urban distribution truck, is a partnership with Volkswagen and includes the carriers that provide services to the beverage manufacturer.
The truck, being fully electric, doesn't use diesel fuel, thus avoiding greenhouse gas and particle pollutant emissions. Currently, only hybrid vehicles are available on the market, as they lack sufficient range to run on electric power and rely on diesel for part of the journey.
"We're using solar and wind energy to recharge the batteries," says Carla Crippa, Ambev's director of sustainability. "In this first phase, we've saved the equivalent of over 1,000 liters of diesel, which means zero carbon dioxide emissions. Imagine that on a much larger scale," Crippa says.
The use of electric trucks is part of a series of initiatives aimed at reducing the company's emissions. Ambev has reduced its use of fossil fuels and aims to have all its electricity purchased from renewable sources by 2025. The company also built a distributed generation unit with solar panels in Uberlândia, which has the capacity to supply all its distribution centers in Minas Gerais.
