In all Odebrecht businesses, the environmental dimension of sustainable development is considered top priority. Throughout the companies’ operations and between its different suppliers, the Organization recognizes the importance of practices such as:

• Reduced use of natural resources;
• Use of clean technologies and recycled materials;
• Preservation of biodiversity;
• Recycling of waste;
• Guaranteed operational efficiency;
• Control of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

To operate within this context, the companies develop projects and investments in line with the following objectives:

• Mitigating the impacts generated by the business in the communities;
• Recovering environments;
• Promoting gains in environmental quality levels.

You can view the Organization’s main environmental monitoring figures in the 2012 Annual Report.

Pioneering Operations at Odebrecht

The promotion of studies designed to ensure GHG emission management is the main instrument used by the Organization to implement measures that reduce the atmospheric impacts of such gases. Odebrecht Energia assumed a pioneering initiative in Brazil and at the Odebrecht Organization by holding the first GHG emission inventory at a large scale project.

With this survey, the company was able to develop strategies to reduce CO2 equivalent damage originating from the Santo Antônio Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Rio Madeira in Porto Velho (RO). It expects to stop the emission of 1.7 million tons of these gases into the atmosphere.

A sustainable practice for its operations within the sphere of climate change, the GHG emission inventory was completed by all of the Engineering and Construction companies in 2010. This initiative mobilized 117 construction projects, 21 offices and 451 people from the Organization in 15 different countries.

At Braskem – Odebrecht’s chemical and petrochemical company –, this survey was conducted in 2007. Before the first inventory, the company’s greenhouse gas emission index was 0.8 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of product. In 2009, Braskem reduced this number by 13.6% – bringing it down to a total of 0.71 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of product.

For further details on the inventory of GHG emissions, please see the 2012 Annual Report.

A challenge for the entire Odebrecht Organization, this commitment to environmental sustainability is considered crucial for guaranteeing that all products and services make a positive contribution to the biodiversity of the regions and countries in which the companies operate.