COP26: Being on the right track is just the beginning

One of the most important global events this year, COP26 represented the continuation of the agendas of actions and commitments established by governments and companies worldwide to build a more sustainable future. The work in favor of sustainability did not stop even after a challenging scenario marked by Covid-19. During the event, we had the opportunity to discuss themes that revolve around climate change, a matter of constant concern for current and future society generations.

As a company committed to sustainable development and which has had sustainability in its DNA since its foundation, Braskem was present in the debates, seeking to add knowledge to the discussions and encourage the advancement of new goals in favor of environmental preservation for all involved.

In one of our essential actions for the event, we presented chemical and plastic solutions produced to mitigate climate change – a green plastic developed from a renewable source (sugar cane). We also had executives who represented the company on panels, whose discussions focused on innovative actions through businesses committed to a positive impact on the future of our planet. Beyond stimulating the connection between innovation and sustainability in business, the idea also encompassed conversations between different companies about how they can combat climate change, which includes encouraging responsible and conscientious consumption and production, essential for building a better future for the planet.

Regarding communication, we have been working since last year to gather in single speech information, deliveries, and work carried out on several fronts by Braskem – always seeking to follow a continuous narrative so that all our stakeholders can know about what our company has been doing, what goals we have achieved and which ones we intend to accomplish from now on, in addition to engaging them in the journey through an increasingly sustainable world.

Thanks to the training, the robust form of our communication, and our engagement with sustainability – which are part of our daily lives – we can deliver clear, transparent, and efficient messages, in an illustrative and inspirational language to our audiences, from market players to end consumers tuned in to the schedule and commitments discussed during COP26.

Over the years, Braskem has communicated each of its initiatives, actions, partnerships, and projects in line with its commitments to sustainability. Our starting point is always our purpose, and we use concrete facts to materialize our commitment and as a way to simplify what we are doing to reach our goals. Thus, we deliver publicly accessible communication, transparent, and aligned with issues related to our governance valuing diversity, equity, inclusion, social responsibility, and sustainability.

In the case of COP26, this was no different. Through our communication, we saw the exact opportunity to show what we are here for, what we have achieved so far, and what more we can do in the coming years in terms of goals and commitments. In the campaign for this year’s event, we adopted the motto “Can Braskem do more for the planet? Yes and will do it!” in which we communicate not only our goals but also initiatives and solutions. Thus, we share with the world the paths taken by the company in recent years, illustrating with results that the initiatives in favor of sustainability that Braskem has been carrying out are effective and should contribute to an even more significant advance in the coming years. At the same time, we are committed to the idea that it is possible (and we will!) to do even more for our planet, exactly as we hear every day here at Braskem

This communication – which is more empathetic, engaged, and presents facts and factual data about what we are doing – allows us to be closer to society, showing it the company’s objective of being a protagonist in initiatives related to climate change mitigation.

Braskem’s ambition is to be recognized globally as a company committed to sustainable development, and its purpose is to improve people’s lives by creating sustainable chemical and plastic solutions. We have acted with guidelines that are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. In this context, we set targets to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. They include actions to reduce emissions with a focus on energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in operations and offsetting emissions with investments in chemicals and polymers of renewable origin.

To connect and promote sustainable development in its entirety, we announced new commitments structured in macro-objectives that are mirrored in seven dimensions, always present in our activities and communications. They are health and safety, financial and economic results, elimination of plastic waste, combating climate change, operational eco-efficiency, social responsibility and human rights, and sustainable innovation.

For each of them, the company defined clear goals and objectives. On the Plastic Waste Disposal front, for example, we have a partnership with Tecipar, a Brazilian company specialized in environmental engineering, which will prevent more than 2,000 tons of plastic household waste (about 36 million polyethylene and polypropylene plastic packaging) being annually dumped in the Santana de Parnaíba landfill, in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. We are also investing in a recycling line with German technology, resulting from a partnership with Valoren – a developer and operator of technologies for transforming waste into producing high-quality recycled resin.

Since 2010, Braskem has been a pioneer and leader in the global production of biopolymers at the forefront of combating climate change. Our renewable polyethylene, which is part of the I’m greenTM line, was the first product in the portfolio, strengthened in 2018 with the launch of EVA from a renewable source. Currently, products under the I’m greenTM brand can be of renewable origin (I’m greenTM bio-based), recycled (I’m greenTM recycled), or a mixture of both (I’m greenTM bio-based & recycled). As it is produced from renewable raw material, I’m greenTM bio-based polyethylene, and I’m greenTM bio-based EVA capable of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during their manufacturing process, contributing to climate change mitigation. Each kilo of renewable PE absorbs up to 3.09 kg of CO2, while for each kilo of renewable EVA produced, up to 2.01 kg of CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere.

At Braskem, we understand that sustainable development also requires the involvement of all links in the value chain and society. We believe that the growing consumer demand for sustainable products is a lever to encourage education and empower society about conscientious plastic consumption. In this sense, we build partnerships focused on initiatives to promote learning content that encourages new generations to be with us on a more sustainable path. A good example is our partnership with Instituto Akatu for the constant development and updating of Edukatu, the first online learning network on conscious consumption and sustainability. The content available on the platform works with consumption and post-consumption and is aimed at elementary school students and teachers throughout Brazil.

Therefore, we have developed a lot of work related to sustainability – in the short, medium, and long term – and that goes from the production chain to the final consumer, with the return of solid waste to the beginning of the process. Thus, valuing all the initiatives carried out, creating increasingly ambitious goals, and knowing how to transmit this based on concrete facts. A challenge that encourages us to move forward, with communication efforts capable of generating value to our business and increasing engagement for a better future.

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