At the Dutch Business Community in Brazil, we are commited to embrace and ensure a better future for all through sustainable practices. Sustainability is key to creating a responsible and future-focused business environment, which is why Sustainability is one of the categories in the Dutcham Inspire Awards, highlighting the innovative efforts of companies that are leading the charge in promoting sustainable practices within their operations.
Discover the projects submitted in the Sustainability category for the Dutcham Inspire Awards 2024 below:
ABN AMRO - Our Garden
"Our Garden" is an initiative focused on the approach of our colleagues to the Environment, providing social interaction and integration to elevate our commitment to the Sustainability agenda: a stimulating and collaborative routine of taking care of a vegetable garden in the office. In partnership with Jardim de Comer, a Brazilian startup specialized in hanginggardens, we created 3 vegetable garden structures. The names of each structure were inspired by a combination of 3 Brazilian Biomes and our 3 Core Values. Amazon Care; Atlantic Courage; Pantanal Collaboration.
The employees are responsible for planting, watering and harvesting the garden. Every month, volunteers come together for another Garden Care Day. “Besides being beautiful, our Garden has become a constant act of care for us. It helps us cultivate the bank’s core values”.
AkzoNobel - Water Reuse
AkzoNobel plant in Mauá, SP (Brazi) has a wastewater treatment plant that enables 100% water reuse. The technology is extremely advanced, allowing water to be reused in processes and products as raw material. However a solid part, called sludge, is a byproduct of the water treatment. And as we have the ambition of 100% circularity, we needed to innovate to also reuse it. After years researching, testing and analyzing, the RD&I, Engineering, Manufacturing and Sustainability teams at AkzoNobel Mauá developed a project to reuse the sludge in one of its paint brands (Coral), replacing a raw material. At the beginning, the process was manual, and we were able to reuse about 2% of the sludge. After validation and investments, the process is now able to use 32% of the total amount of generated sludge, preventing it from being discarded as waste.
Our ambition now is to expand the use of sludge to other products and increase the percentage of reuse, contributing to production efficiency and sustainability.The innovation and positive impacts of this project are not limited to our unit but serve as a model of best practices that can inspire other companies to adopt similar solutions.By turning waste into a valuable resource, the project not only improves operational efficiency but also reinforces our commitment to sustainability and circular economy.
Arcadis - Sustainathon, A Sustainability Week.
Seeking to include Sustainability at the center of everything we do, Sustainathon – Sustainability Week emerged as a strategic initiative. The event was more than a sustainable action; addressed ESG in its essence in a collaborative and integrated way, also promoting the culture of Accountability.
With many challenges, Sustainathon was an excellent opportunity to propose and develop innovative solutions to the challenges identified during the ESG Internal Audit, promoting individual and collective responsibility. Teamwork to generate innovative solutions, bringing a culture of accountability, ensuring shared responsibility for everyone, regardless of hierarchical level.
De Heus - Reviver Rio das Pedras Project.
Reinforcing not only its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, but also seeking to benefit the local community, De Heus is a supporter of the Reviver Rio das Pedras Project, an initiative of AMATUR (Municipal Agency for the Environment, Tourism and Culture of Itaberaí ), in partnership with private companies and the Public Ministry, which aims to preserve the main water resource in the city of Itaberaí/GO, where we are present.
The De Heus team began planting in 2023. Throughout the rainy season, there will be a total of 800 seedlings donated by De Heus in favor of the conservation and recovery of degraded and vulnerable areas in the area, reminding us that we can take care of ecosystems and contribute to the highest quality of life on earth with small attitudes that can generate great transformation.
dsm-firmenich - Methane Emission Redution.
Methane is the second largest contributor to global warming. Therefore, quickly reducing methane emissions can help achieve short-term climate goals. At COP 26, more than 100 countries recognized methane reduction as an effective strategy to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, signing the “Global Methane Pledge”. Faced with this challenge, DSM-Firmenich researched and developed, over ten years, a Bovaer® additive for feed for cows and other ruminants, such as sheep and goats.
Our studies show that just a quarter teaspoon of Bovaer® per day for each cow reduces enteric methane emissions by at least 30% for dairy cows and even higher percentages for beef cattle (up to 90%) . The product is safely broken down in the animal's digestive system, contributing to an immediate reduction in the environmental footprint of meat, milk and dairy products. The creation of products like Bovaer contributes to reducing methane emissions in the dairy industry's supply chain, driving action and transparency on one of the sector's most critical climate challenges.
E&Y - Crop science E2E Traceability Program
Project that implemented technology, control processes and product traceability in Argentina, and then will be scalable to Latin America.
This is a cutting-edge project to boost sustainability aspects, such as reducing and reusing packaging and increasing efficiency, reducing inventories along the value chain, through full visibility from raw material procurement, production formulation, filling and packaging to resale to the farmer. Connecting the Farmer in a total traceability of the product, also increasing the response time, and consequently, the service level, in agricultural operations.
Heineken - SPIN.
Spin is an impact business ecosystem, seeking to promote both environmental and social sustainability. Its operation begins with a partnership with companies that are references in their areas of activity and recognized for their good socio-environmental practices, such as Ambipar, Better Drinks, Central Única das Favelas (CUFA), Raízen, Rizoma and Ultragaz. Spin proposes an unprecedented model of partnership with small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in which traditional financial support is replaced by the sharing of what each company has to offer.
On the brewery side, for example, there is access to raw materials, the production line, and an efficient distribution system. On the partners' side, the development of brands that carry purpose and innovation in essence. In addition to mutual learning, the partnership will increase the brands' market capillarity and the results will be reverted between the companies.
Koppert - The world of Biological Control.
This is a 10-episode documentary series that follows the journey of Jaqueline Silva, journalist and host of the series, through the world of Biological Control. The series is informative and explores how research and technology have allowed the natural enemies of pests and diseases that affect agriculture to be used in favor of the rural producer, through biological control. These rieaired on Canal Rural in the second half of 2023 and all its content is available at www.tecnologiaviva.com.br.
The great journey covered in the series goes from Research & Development, production of micro and macrobiologicals to application in the field, going beyond the gates and bringing these biological control agents and their results to the fore, which have been contributing to the sustainability, productivity and profitability of Brazilian crops.
KPMG - Educating leaders, transforming the future with the Internal Carbon Price.
In 2023 we implemented the Internal Carbon Pricing. With it, areas responsible for emissions pay a corresponding “carbon fee”. . How does it work? Each KPMG project calculates greenhouse gas emissions using a globally accepted methodology. ICP must be included in each area’s budget and is not passed on to clients. Monthly, project leaders receive financial reports detailing the deducted value from this calculation.
The deducted value is used in ESG projects. The first year focuses on raising awareness among KPMG project managers by deducting the “cost” of emissions from each project. By receiving monthly reports detailing the carbon cost deducted from project financial results, our leaders are encouraged to reflect on the environmental impact of their projects and take practical steps to reduce emissions.
Rabobank - Living Farms.
Living Farms is a project in partnership with AGRI3 Fund to promote more sustainable agribusiness in Brazil. On one side, Rabobank and AGRI3 are willing to support farmers to promote the transition to a more sustainable and resilient agriculture addressing the global demand for food production with less impact on the planet. On the other side, Farmers feel the need to stop climate change, since it directly affects their businesses.
They believe that the solution comes from the field, with the preservation of forests, less impact on the soil, less demand for inputs and improving people's quality of life.
The project includes: 1 – Preserving forests. 2 - Recovering forests. 3 – Promoting regenerative agriculture. 4 - Recovery of degraded pastures.
SBM Offshore - The Circular Economy Project.
The Circular Economy Project focuses on minimizing waste generation and landfill disposal, identifying gaps in waste generation processes and implementing circular approaches. This initiative is in line with the urgent need to combat climate change and reduce wasteful use of materials. The specific objectives are to reduce the amount of waste generated by SBM Offshore activities; increase the potential for recovery of components and materials from activities and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Circular Economy is one of the six objectives outlined in the EU Taxonomy, a mandatory regulation for companies operating in Europe. This approach is centered on eliminating waste at every stage of the production process through reuse, recycling, and recovery of materials. By optimizing the use of natural and material resources, the life cycle of products is prolonged, and dependence on raw materials is reduced. With the project, there will be a change in internal processes, specifically in procurement and waste management, with possible changes in responsibilities.
Shell - The Nanorad Project
The Nanorad Project represents an innovative and essential initiative for the recovery of degraded areas in the Amazon, combining cutting-edge science, advanced technology and a deep commitment to sustainability. Focused on three main pillars—different planting systems, the innovative use of nanobiotechnology, and advanced monitoring systems—the project seeks to promote the reforestation of the Amazon rainforest, while at the same time strengthening the region's socioeconomic and environmental development. Through the application of the Arbolina carbon nanomolecule, developed by Krilltech, the project aims to increase the resilience of native trees in extreme conditions, accelerating the process of carbon recovery and sequestration in these critical areas.
Additionally, a partnership with Treevia allows the use of IoT sensors to monitor carbon sequestration in real time, providing essential data to measure the project's impact. Nanorad's not only support Shell's goal of achieving net-zero by 2050 and Brazil's NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions), but also directly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), empowering local communities and forming a new generation of researchers through education and training. With its unique approach, the project promises to set a new standard for large-scale sustainable forest recovery, with potential for replicability in other critical regions of the planet.
Trow Nutrition - Carbon Farms.
In a world with limited natural resources and a growing population, we want to lead the change towards more circular and renewable food production methods. Trouw Nutrition, in partnership with Imaflora, started the Carbon On Farm project, with the proposal to collect and analyze carbon emissions in 18 Brazilian beef cattle farms.
The final goal is to internationally certify these properties as low carbon emission or as reducing carbon emission properties. To accomplish this, the project team measured the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in each farm, presenting them guidelines and solutions for GHG reduction. One of the solutions involve the use of LambiskV, a protein mineral supplement that improves the animal's digestion, consequently reducing the generation of methane gas. By participating in this program, farmers reduced approximately 8% in CO2 equivalent emissions per kg of meat produced (compared to other studies by IMAFLORA on beef cattle farms). By joining Carbon On Farm, Trouw Nutrition can support livestock farmers in pursuing their goals by implementing sustainable technologies and management
