“One for One Commitment” will support the conservation of the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga areas equal in size to the eucalyptus plantation areas
Bracell, a global leader in the production of dissolving pulp and part of the RGE group, has established an important sustainability goal for the preservation of biodiversity. The company launches the “One for One Commitment”, an unprecedented initiative in the Brazilian pulp sector, which will contribute to the conservation of native vegetation areas equal in size to the planted areas. For every one hectare of planted eucalyptus, Bracell is committed to conserving one hectare of native area. The target will be reached by the end of 2025.
“The One for One Commitment is an important step by Bracell in its sustainability strategy and is fully aligned with the company’s values. We follow our purpose that everything we do must be good for the country, the climate, communities and customers, because only then will it be good for Bracell”, says Marcio Nappo, vice president of Sustainability and Corporate Communication at the company.
Currently, the ratio between the company’s cultivated areas and conservation areas is 0.56. “This unprecedented initiative is important because it expands the company’s area of activity in the conservation of biodiversity beyond our areas of operation. We have adopted this commitment on a permanent basis. Thus, if the company increases the areas of eucalyptus plantations after 2025, proportionally, the total number of conserved areas will also be increased, in order to maintain the One for One Commitment”, explains Nappo. The estimated initial investment is R$ 12 million, a value that could increase if the company expands its planting areas.
In addition to conserving existing native areas in Bracell’s production areas, the commitment will support conservation in public areas and the recovery of degraded areas through partnerships with governments and other institutions. It will also work to prevent and fight forest fires, deforestation and theft of native wood, alongside illegal hunting and capture of wild animals.
“Environmental preservation is part of Bracell’s essence. Eucalyptus plantations interspersed with native vegetation form forest mosaics that provide environmental benefits for our plantations and for biodiversity. Also, a healthy environment provides benefits for the whole society, through the ecosystem services that are generated.”, explains João Augusti, Environment and Certifications manager at Bracell.
Another central element in Bracell’s strategy to protect biodiversity is the constitution of Private Natural Heritage Reserves (RPPNs). In these conservation areas of private domain, only scientific research, environmental education and tourist visitation activities are allowed. Bracell has four RPPNs, totaling more than 3 thousand hectares of full protection of native vegetation, fauna and flora. Among these, the RPPN Lontra stands out, which received the title of Advanced Biosphere Reserve of the Atlantic Forest by UNESCO and is home to hundreds of species of wild fauna and flora, many of them rare and threatened with extinction.
PARTNERSHIPS
Several partnerships are already being signed to achieve the one for one goal. Recently, Bracell signed a term of commitment with the São Paulo Forest Foundation to sponsor protection actions in 66 thousand hectares of native forests, which include relevant areas of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado Paulista. The company also signed a cooperation agreement with the Bahia Secretariat for the Environment (Sema) to carry out joint actions aimed at protecting biodiversity in Atlantic Forest Conservation Units (UCs) in the state, such as the Subaé Canyons and the Subaúma river basin. The goal is to work in partnerships that contribute to the conservation and maintenance of UCs and safeguard the natural heritage, protecting endemic, rare and endangered species of fauna and flora, and water resources, guaranteed by forest formations.
The company also signed a partnership with the SOS Atlantic Forest Foundation in which it will support actions to promote the restoration of the Atlantic Forest in Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and Legal Reserve areas, contributing to the formation of ecological corridors, connectivity of remaining fragments and preservation of water resources.
In addition, Bracell, which since 2021 has been a member of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), joined, in April, the nine goals of the Brazilian Business Commitment to Biodiversity, an initiative aligned with the sustainability strategy and aimed at reinforcing the importance of good practices for the protection of biodiversity.
“All these signed actions and partnerships are part of the first steps we are taking towards our goal. The company will take stock of the commitment and its results annually, which will be verified by an independent audit and reported in Bracell’s sustainability report, available on the company’s website, which gathers information from all our initiatives”, concludes Nappo.
