The Norberto Odebrecht Foundation had a prominent place in the I ESG Salvador Forum, idealized by the newspaper CORREIO and the Alô Alô Bahia portal and held on May 11 and 12 in the capital of Bahia. The event aimed to discuss the best environmental, social, and governance practices adopted by companies, organizations, and entities that operate in the region and belong to the most diverse segments. As one of the supporters of the event, the Foundation was present with a stand displaying photos of the beneficiaries of its Social Program, the PDCIS, and food produced by the communities it serves. In addition, members of the organization attended lectures, panels, and created connections with other participants.
.jpeg)
The objective was to insert those present in a space of social transformation generated by the Program, which strengthens family agriculture and encourages sustainability. “We were able to show the public how our Social Program has the potential to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and already makes a difference in the lives of thousands of people,” explains Cristiane Nascimento, responsible for Sustainability, Partnerships, and Communication at the Foundation. “The audience was enormously interested to learn more details of the PDCIS and how it operates from an ESG commitment,” she says.
According to superintendent Fábio Wanderley, the Foundation’s support for the Forum was natural given the relationship between the PDCIS and the ESG theme – a relationship that can even contribute to companies and investors who want to strengthen their activities in this area. “Whether by promoting the balance between food production and environmental conservation or the socio-productive training and inclusion of young people, aspects that are connected to environmental and social commitments, all of our actions are based on committed, transparent, ethical, and efficient governance,” he says.
Also present at the Foundation’s booth was one of the partner institutions in the execution of the PDCIS: the Earth Conservation Organization (OCT). Bruna Sobral, OCT’s Socio-Environmental Planning coordinator, says that the presence was important to expose to more audiences the work done by the organization in Bahia’s Baixo Sul region. “It’s always great to participate in meetings where people who are looking for opportunities to implement social and environmental impact actions are gathered together,” says Bruna. “This was a way to bring OCT closer to decision makers in companies and the general public,” he says.
Focus on ESG
The Foundation has participated in the Forum since its opening, on May 11, in a ceremony reserved for guests, opened by a show and lecture by the singer Margareth Menezes, who talked about the Cultural Factory project, founded by her. Afterwards, the evening also included speeches by Caio Ramos, director of sustainability for AMBEV South America, of Leo Dutra, Ernst & Young’s partner-director for Sustainability, and of the mayor of Salvador, Bruno Reis – who emphasized the commitment of the public power in creating a favorable environment for the development of companies and organizations with ESG activities in the capital.
Other talks continued the in-depth discussions the following day, open to the public, when members of the Foundation could also attend more speakers and connect with other professionals. “It was very interesting to see how different companies, from different segments, are spreading ESG not only in their culture, but in their own strategic planning,” comments Eduardo Fraguas, Administrative Analyst at the Foundation. “This is what society demands from organizations today: that they have actions focused on social, environmental, and governance issues, always with as much transparency as possible,” he adds.
The I ESG Salvador Forum was a free event open to the public and brought together large companies and entities such as Acelen, Unipar, Yamana Gold, Bracell, BAMIN, Socializa, Suzano, Sebrae and Contermas, as well as names like Mariana Lisbôa, Global Leader of Corporate Relations at Suzano S/A; Rosane Santos, Director of ESG, Environment, Community Relations and Corporate Communication at BAMIN; Sérgio Santos, Manager of Investor Relations and Institutional Relations at Unipar, and Ricardo Mastroti, Executive Director of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS).
