At the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21), treated by the United Nations Fourth Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Paris, an agreement was structured with the aim of strengthening the fight against the threats of climate change and uniting efforts to countries to deal with the impacts of these changes.
As we all know, the impacts caused by climate change are not, and should not be, a topic discussed only in large global forums. Private sector participation in conversations and actions in this regard has increased in recent decades. More than that, assessing the impacts of the operations of any industry or service has become not only necessary for resource management, but also an element that influences the purchase decision of consumers, who are increasingly aware of and engaged in related causes. to collective well-being.
In other words, the continuity of the business of any company today is not only linked to the value it obtains from its efforts, but also to the legacy it returns to society, whether acting positively with the surrounding communities, respecting the environment in in which it operates and the existing natural resources, or maintaining a positive relationship with its various stakeholders.
At Suzano Papel e Celulose, we understand sustainability as the ability to allow growth cycles to renew themselves, which implies building the foundations for an expansion that integrates competitive operations, socio-environmental responsibility and quality relationships. With this orientation, since 2008, we have quantified our Greenhouse Gases emissions according to the methodology GHG Protocol, developed by the World Resources Institute/World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WRI/WBCSD).
By measuring our emissions, we are able to better assess opportunities for reduction. We obtained, compared to 2015, a reduction of 4% in the total balance of emissions. This result reflects our efforts towards energy efficiency, reducing consumption of inputs and adopting cleaner energy alternatives.
As an example of action carried out in our industrial scope, the investment in a new digester at the Suzano Unit (SP) allowed a 34% drop in our consumption of natural gas and represents a reduction in the emission of 115 thousand tons of CO2. At our Imperatriz Unit (MA), the optimization of its processes led to a drastic reduction in fuel oil consumption. The Mucuri (BA) plant, in turn, reduced its consumption of natural gas by 11%, which represents a reduction of 18 thousand tons of CO2 equivalent.
These results obtained through actions and investments in energy efficiency and reduction in fuel consumption, making the sources of our energy matrix cleaner, were evident in 2015 and have continued to bring expressive results ever since.
The reduction of 41% in the purchase of electricity compared to 2014, considering the set of Suzano units, accounts for the reduction of 53 thousand tons of CO2. In addition, the self-generation of electricity at the Imperatriz and Mucuri Units and sending the surplus to supply the network avoided the emission of another 570 thousand tons of CO2 equivalent for the atmosphere, since, when we stop buying energy from the grid, we replace our energy matrix with cleaner sources.
The actions do not end there. We are responsible for the conscientious forest management of 1.2 million hectares, of which approximately 490,000 are preservation areas, concentrated in Bahia, Espírito Santo, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Maranhão, Tocantins and Pará. through reforestation and restoration we remove CO2 from the atmosphere, which is stored in the form of carbon in well-managed forest areas. All our products come from eucalyptus forests planted for this purpose, through conscious and sustainable management. In other words, these are renewable products that feed various production chains. We also participated in an initiative, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the largest environmental organization in the world, for the recovery of the sources of the Mucuri River. And in this project, we are not only partners, but also enthusiasts of a model for attracting new actors to this and other similar initiatives.
At Suzano, we base all our relationships on our strong and gentle belief. We are strong in the pursuit of pioneering innovative processes and protagonists of our own history, and gentle in caring for what and who surrounds us. And this is how we believe it is possible to contribute to building a better world.
Learn more about the other actions developed by Suzano Papel e Celulose. Check out!
