OI 162 en

# 162 vol XXXIX SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 ENGLISH EDITION

TIME TO THINK AND ACT Ideas and projects that help realize the dream of harmonious coexistence between people and nature

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www.odebrechtonline.co Online edition

Online archive

> Focused on springs and riparian forests, the Forest Factory program helps restore areas of Atlantic Forest on the North Coast of Bahia and is being replicated in Rio de Janeiro. > Co-sponsored by the InterAmerican Development Bank, the Creer (Believe) professional education program is offering better job prospects to residents of the Huรกnuco region in Peru. > One highlight of the projects in Rio de Janeiro that are preparing the city to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics is the TransOeste expressway, which is already easing traffic jams. > Residents of Luanda are learning new ways to improve public health through environmental projects.

> You can read this entire issue in HTML and PDF

> Access all back issues of Odebrecht Informa since no. 1, and download full issues in PDF.

> Odebrecht Annual Reports since 2002.

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> Online edition of Odebrecht Informa . > Reports, features, videos, photos, animations and infographics.

Video reports

> On the Palomino Hydroelectric Plant project in the Dominican Republic, environmental projects cover several fronts, including support for the demarcation of Haitises National Park, an area rich in birds and caves. > Saving drinking water and treating sewage. These are the goals of the Aquapolo Project, an unprecedented initiative in Brazil that supplies reclaimed water to the ABC Paulista Petrochemical Complex.

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> The Pedra Preta Archaeological Site in Mato Grosso do Sul will be open to visitors. > The radio livens up the workday of Odebrecht members building the Teles Pires hydroelectric plant. > At the age of 75, a seasoned farmer finds motivation in new ideas and work methods.

> Alagoas municipalities benefit from the expansion of a professional education program and investments in an Atlantic Forest preserve. > Follow Odebrecht Informa on Twitter @odbinforma and get news in real time.

> Comment on blog posts and participate by sending your suggestions to the editors.

> AN ARENA FOR THREE PASSIONS World Cup City: the Pernambuco Arena will leave an urban legacy for Nรกutico, Santa Cruz and Sport soccer club fans

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Cover: Odebrecht member with bird from the region where the Chaglla hydroelectric plant is under construction in Huánuco, Peru.

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Photo by Bruna Romaro

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In Mozambique, a construction site where the protection of wildlife and productivity coexist harmoniously

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Sergio Leão and Alexandre Baltar, and the importance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management indicators

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Caroline de Azevedo and a project whose core is synergy between the company and the community

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In Panama, a decisive foray into the preservation of mangroves and their extraordinarily rich biodiversity

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Dominican Republic: projects in different sectors pave the way towards a sustainable future

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Folks: João Borba, Eduardo Poley and Gabriel Saúde, and how they show their love for the places where they live

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Lagoa Viva Green Belt: two initiatives in Alagoas become symbols of sustainability

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Interview: Augusto Roque, Rogério Ibrahim and Saulo Nunes discuss how Odebrecht’s social/ environmental projects set the Group apart

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A project planned and executed to be sustainable in every aspect: Santo Antônio, in Rondônia, Brazil

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The past, present and future come together in the construction of the Baixo Sabor Dam in Portugal

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Chaglla: in the strip between the Andes and the rain forest, an exemplary preservation project arises in Peru

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ENVIRONMENT 46 50

The map shows the countries and Brazilian states (in white) where the projects and programs described in this issue of Odebrecht Informa are located, and where the people who feature in these stories live and work

In Sauípe, on the North Coast of Bahia, measures are taken to ensure the conservation of a complex environmental context Aquapolo Project: a benchmark for reclaiming water for industrial purposes and a symbol of entrepreneurial cross-cutting operations

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Firefighters: meet some of the professionals who take care of prevention and safety at ETH’s agroindustrial units

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Around the world, Petrobras revamps assets to adapt them to more stringent safety and public health requirements

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Highway concessionaires help disseminate a culture of respect for the environment

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Program held at the Odebrecht Building in Salvador, Bahia helps turn minor habits into significant moves

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Embraport Terminal in Santos: innovative measures ensure a more rational and productive approach to water use

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Savvy: a leader passionate about training people, Antonio Carlos Daiha Blando highlights the lessons he has learned in his career

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Greater Porto Alegre provides confirmation of the close relationship between decent housing and respect for the environment

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The rehabilitation of Sepetiba Beach gives back to the community one of the most scenic areas in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro

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Environmental awareness is changing communities’ lives in the metropolitan region of Luanda, Angola

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The reclamation of parts of the Atlantic Forest and conservation of springs mobilizes residents of the Southern Bahia Lowlands

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EDITORIAL

A respectful relationship

I “Odebrecht has set itself the challenge of being recognized as a ‘green company’ that is committed to creating and providing an environmental legacy for the people living within the spheres of influence of its engineering and construction projects and industrial operations”

n Tete Province, Mozambique, they are taking every precaution to ensure that all kinds of wildlife are protected, and the works in progress in the region do not change their way of life. In the Dominican Republic, we are seeing examples of how a country can achieve balance by investing heavily in its development while ensuring environmental sustainability.

Huánuco, Peru, is now the site of a pioneering project to rescue local plant and animal life. In the metropolitan area of Luanda, Angola, we find further confirmation of the close and decisive relationship between decent housing and environmental conservation. In the Brazilian states of Pernambuco, Bahia and São Paulo, the communities living near roadways run as concessions are the main beneficiaries of programs that make it clear that people need (and want!) to become directly responsible for their own quality of life and the protection of the environment.

These are just a few examples of the activities that you will see reported on and analyzed in this issue of Odebrecht Informa, which deals with the day-today relationship between the Group’s businesses and the environment. You will see how Odebrecht teams deal with environmental issues at construction sites, industrial units and offices in Brazil and other countries.

To build major projects like dams, roads and water and sewer systems, and carry out complex operations like the production of thermoplastic resins and ethanol, a broad range of projects must be implemented to mitigate impacts and ensure the rational use of natural resources. The conservation of the environment, plant and animal life, and biodiversity must be part of the business - and this concept is understood and applied in every project in which Odebrecht participates. It is not just about compliance with the law, no matter how strict it may be. It is about going further, doing more than required, investing in consistent and advanced initiatives, and conducting pioneering research and studies that become national and even international benchmarks.

Odebrecht has set itself the challenge of being recognized as a “green company” that is committed to creating and providing an environmental legacy for the people living within the spheres of influence of its engineering and construction projects and industrial operations. The main pillar of this legacy is the concept of inclusion: it is essential for communities to get involved in the process of environmental improvement so their members participate directly in maintaining, improving and multiplying the changes being made and the benefits achieved.

Good reading.

Life is

coexisten written by Clรกudio Lovato Filho photos by Holanda Cavalcanti

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Hippos in the Zambeze River: this scene, which amazes visitors, is part of daily life for members working on the Moatize Coal Project

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Work on the Moatize Coal Project in Mozambique involves the day-to-day relationship between workers, wildlife and riverside communities

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Team members landing next to one of the transmission towers installed on the island: the area is being planted with native vegetation

Sérgio Silveira: planos de remar até os 75 anos

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s it approaches the family of hippos

sion towers have been installed there to carry power

in the middle of the Zambezi River,

to the jobsite, which is served by 36 substations. André

the small boat slows down, and the

Canoas, the Odebrecht officer Responsible for Pro-

outboard motor goes off. The two en-

duction on this project, and Leonardo Hellstrom, from

gineers on board are not surprised.

the company’s Health, Safety and Environment team,

They just enjoy the scene. But for the Odebrecht In-

are the engineers who were on the boat along with the

forma team, it is very far from being a common sight.

magazine’s reporter and photographer. Right there on

“There are eight,” says the reporter. Then he corrects

the riverbank, they meet up with two other Odebrecht

himself: “No, there are nine.” “One day I counted 11,”

engineers, Joaquim Carvalho and Flávio Macaringue,

says one of the engineers. The hippos pile up on each

and construction supervisors Walter Gomes and Lino

other, dive and then emerge almost

Paulino Mucumbe. There is still some

entirely from the water, like breaching

work to be done on the island. They

whales. This is Africa, with its inex-

have to protect the foundations of one

haustible capacity for fascination. The

of the towers. It is no small challenge,

outboard motor starts up again and

because the soil is very unstable. The

the boat moves away from the family,

team is planting the island with native

which carries on enjoying the morning

vegetation. It is a contribution that the

sun in the middle of the river.

people who tend small plots of corn,

We are headed for an island in the Zambezi River.

peanuts and other products there are awaiting with

A project that has been carried out there might sym-

great anticipation. Soon, the island will be more than

bolize, with the greatest intensity and accuracy, the

just a sandbar.

strategy of environmental conservation implemented

André and Leonardo introduce the magazine’s

on the Moatize Coal Project. Underway since June

team to Abílio Sinosse. He has spent 35 years at

2008 in Tete Province, Mozambique, in February 2012

the Ministry of Agriculture of Mozambique, work-

it embarked on its second stage, which will double the

ing as a wildlife inspector. Since 2010, he has been

mine’s production capacity.

tasked with protecting the professionals working on

We’ve landed. The island is actually a large sand

the project. Abílio, 57, is always the first to arrive on

bank, 1,800 m long and 1,200 m wide. Four transmis-

the island and the last to leave. He keeps a close eye

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on the movements of crocodiles, hippos and snakes,

One of the biggest mines in Africa

and drives them away if necessary. “My job is to pro-

The Moatize district of Tete, the capital of the prov-

tect people and wildlife; to look after both sides. I’m

ince of the same name, is home to one of Africa’s

the man in the middle.” No one is allowed to kill ani-

largest coal mines, for which Vale has obtained the

mals in any part of the construction site, not even a

development rights. The coal extracted from the mine

snake or a spider.

is thermal and metallurgical, the most valuable type,

The hippo family we saw in the river lives on the

which is used in the steel industry. The mine’s produc-

island. Its members head for the water at around

tion capacity was initially estimated to be 11 million

5:30 am and return to the island later in the day.

metric tons. Once the plant’s expansion is completed,

Their movements are top priority. Work stops so

production will double. Mined in a 200-square-kilome-

they can move about freely. “The entire production

ter area, the coal is currently processed at an indus-

strategy comes second to caring for the environ-

trial facility that required 130,000 cu.m of concrete to

ment,” says Flávio Macaringue, 31, who was born in

build. The coal is exported from Mozambique through

Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. “The work done

the port of Beira, where it arrives in trains. All this be-

here on the island has been a tremendous learning

came a reality through an Alliance Contract between

experience,” says André Canoas, a Brazilian from

Vale and Odebrecht.

São Paulo.

Deploying and operating a project of this magni-

The environmental conservation work being done

tude requires a commitment to sustainability. During

on the island has become an icon and a benchmark,

its visit to the construction site, the Odebrecht Informa

but it is just one chapter, albeit a prominent one, in

team observed the commitment of all members of

the context of the initiatives that were undertaken

the project, regardless of their program or where they

during the implementation of the Moatize Coal Proj-

work – at the work fronts, in offices, in the cafeteria or

ect and are now being implemented during its expan-

in the workers’ accommodations.

sion. Everything that can be done is being done to

Water trucks constantly circulate around the job-

take (and exceed where possible) the usual precau-

site to damp down dust and ensure air quality. En-

tions for a mining operation carried out by Vale, the

vironmental inspections are conducted daily and, if

client for this project.

necessary, result in corrective measures. Campaigns

Family of river dwellers (with Rosário Roice to the right in the foreground) who are benefiting from social/ environmental projects: hope of better opportunities ahead

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Equipment that is part of the industrial structure for processing coal. In the smaller photo, the Sewage Treatment Plant: conducting environmental inspections every day

ship with nature is transcendental. Their religious beliefs are very strong, and it is important to understand their customs and traditions. Residents of the area near the jobsite, especially the families who live on the banks of the Zambezi, understand that

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and lectures on water conservation, efficient electric-

the projects in the vicinity, including the Moatize Project,

ity use, and waste management, among other topics,

are bringing benefits to their historically poor region.

are carried out at all work fronts. The neighboring

When the Odebrecht Informa team visited Tete in

communities benefit from social and environmental

mid-August, a prolonged drought was threatening to

programs, and seedlings of native species are planted

ruin the harvests and causing tremendous concern.

and distributed. Part of the Ongoing Professional Edu-

Rosário Abílio Roice, 36, a resident of the riverside

cation Program – Acreditar (Believe), the module on

Chivur community, welcomes the works being carried

the Environment makes a major contribution to edu-

out in Moatize. “They mean more development for our

cating people on the subject. Anywhere you go in the

country. Now we have more roads, more power, and

jobsite, selective waste collection is encouraged (with

all this while respecting the environment, animals and

detailed instructions). It is equipped with a Wastewa-

vegetation.”

ter Treatment Plant (WTP) and a landfill. The project

Roberto Salvador Reis, the Odebrecht officer Re-

currently employs about 7,000 people directly. There

sponsible for Health, Safety and Environment, says:

are more than 1,700 professionals working for Vale,

“We have already achieved important victories, but

and 1,300 for Odebrecht, as well as both companies’

much remains to be done. For example, we want to

subcontractors. At the peak of the expansion works,

deploy a recycling cooperative in the Moatize district,

8,500 professionals will be actively involved in the proj-

with a sorting plant that will be operated and managed

ect – a jobsite with the population of a town.

by community members.” Colbert Nascimento, Vale’s

Eighty-five percent of the people in the workforce are

Health, Safety and Environment Leader for the proj-

currently Mozambican, but even those who come from

ect, adds: “We’re going leave behind a legacy of social

elsewhere know that the local communities’ relation-

and environmental sustainability.”

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Sergio Leão (left) and Alexandre Baltar: the aim is to set practical examples for reducing CO2 emissions

controls Strict

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written by Emanuella Sombra photo by Ricardo Telles

lexandre Baltar is the officer Responsible for the Climate Change area of the Odebrecht Sustainability Program run by Sérgio Leão. In August, on a dry Southern-Hemisphere

winter afternoon in São Paulo, both men set aside a few hours of their time to provide Odebrecht Informa

with Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Management indicators for the Group’s Engineering & Construction companies, which recently concluded their second Annual GHG Emissions Inventory, Base Year 2011. “Having learned all about emission processes [during the

Odebrecht’s Engineering & Construction companies complete their second Annual GHG Emissions Inventory

first inventory], we now face a different and even bigger challenge: setting goals for achieving more ef-

adaptability. This is because, unlike businesses and

ficiency in controlling these emissions,” says Baltar.

industries that have fixed production plants, in the

However obvious this may seem to a layman on

Engineering & Construction business each project

the subject, the Baltar’s observation does even come

has a relatively short cycle, from beginning to end,

close to covering the typical challenges faced by an

which makes it hard to conduct comparative analy-

industry whose main features include mobility and

ses of the same situation over the years.

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However, this is not the only complex aspect of the challenge. “Each project has its own peculiarities. A road built in a flat region requires different production processes from another road built in rugged terrain.

And, of course, both will generate different environmental impacts,” says Baltar. He explains that, like the first, the second Annual GHG Emissions Inventory is serving as a parameter for Group members to determine the goals that should be prioritized, and how to adapt them to the different regions and countries where the organization operates.

Major emitters One of these goals is to improve the methods used to control fuel consumption and utilize “greener” cement and steel. According to the inventory, altogether, these raw materials directly or indirectly accounted for 83.6% of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere in 2011. At the top of the list, fuels and lubricants consumed by approximately 27,000 pieces of equipment used at the jobsites produced 34.3% of the total greenhouse gas emissions.

Cement (29.3%) and steel (20%) consumption came right behind.

Baltar explains that even when a given activity has a small impact, its viability should be assessed, because it helps change people’s attitudes and can produce other benefits. For example, air travel represents just 2.7% of the emissions inventory. Although it is a comparably small figure, the need to fly is constantly called into question.

“We usually encourage people to ask themselves: instead of traveling, wouldn’t it be possible to re-

Sérgio’s observation reflects the Group’s Engi-

solve the matter through a teleconference, for ex-

neering & Construction companies’ constant ef-

ample?” Baltar observes.

forts to gain an understanding of the context of each

Encouraging these types of questions benefits

project. This can be seen by observing the number

the environment and the company, which ends up

of projects and regions covered in the inventory. All

reducing the cost of its operations. Consequently, it

told, it has evaluated 135 contracts in an operation

disseminates the culture of sustainability among its

that involved 14 countries where the Group is pres-

members, who working on ways of saving resources

ent, including Brazil. About 850 members directly

in a decentralized, active and ongoing fashion. Ac-

participated in the survey.

cording to Sérgio Leão: “We should recall that the quality of our operations must be maintained in ev-

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Santo Antônio, Palomino and Chaglla

ery situation. Therefore, it is essential to think about

This concern is already being transformed into

contextualized sustainability everywhere where we

action. One project is being carried out at the

operate. It cannot be something that is brought in

jobsite for the Santo Antônio hydroelectric plant

from the outside.”

in Rondônia, Brazil. The planning of the jobsite

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Baltar and other leaders attended the UN confer-

The Palomino hydroelectric plant in the Dominican Republic: sales of carbon credits will help finance social outreach projects

ence last June. “The construction industry involves a supply chain of associated companies that work in the delivery of products. What we are doing here impacts that entire chain.”

Some decisions, such as choosing suppliers that produce cement with lower emissions, and optimizing waste transport at the jobsites, end up making the difference in controlling these emissions. Others, such as the sale of carbon credits, benefit the client and the community in which the project is located, since they generate resources and can help finance social projects. This was the case with the Palomino hydroelectric plant in the Dominican Republic, which is expected to generate about 120,000 metric tons of CO2 in carbon credits annually.

In addition to Palomino, another plan to sell carbon credits has been developed at the Chaglla hydroelectric plant in Peru, which is expected to generate 1.8 million metric tons of CO2 per year in carbon credits. When it receives approval from the Peruvian government and the UN, Chaglla should be the fourth largest among more than 1,200 hydropower projects already approved, adding value to

photo:

Geraldo Pestalozzi

Odebrecht Energia’s business.

The purpose of the carbon market is to help achieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol, which went into effect in 2005, setting limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, it has gained importance in the sustainable development agenda. In 2009, Odebrecht Engineering & Construction and 26 other companies signed the Open Letter to Brazil on Clispared 291 hectares from deforestation, out of

mate Change, which contains a number of voluntary

a total of 1,108 ha whose clearing had been au-

commitments to reducing environmental impacts

thorized by IBAMA, the Brazilian environmental

and presents proposals to the Federal Government

agency. This initiative resulted in 26% savings in

on that issue.

the cost of deforestation for the project and a re-

“One of the challenges facing Brazil is to estab-

duction of 206,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions,

lish alliances and a governance model for sustain-

an amount that corresponds to approximately 40%

able development that involves more than sporadic

of all emissions from burning fossil fuels over the

and temporary measures,” says Sérgio Leão. Ac-

course of the construction project.

cording to Sérgio and Alexandre Baltar, the com-

“As Rio+20 demonstrated, companies have be-

pletion of the second Annual Inventory is just the

come leading players in this process. The nations

beginning of a process aimed at carrying out the

represented there have established that they will

measures being developed at the jobsites. “This is

reach an agreement on goals by 2015, and in the

our objective: to set a practical example that is in

meantime, businesses need to do their homework;

line with the specific characteristics of Engineering

to influence others,” argues Sérgio Leão, who, like

& Construction,” says Baltar.

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PROFILE: Caroline Todt de Azevedo

The pleasure of collective achievements Responsible for sustainability projects at EPP, Caroline bases her work on the constant pursuit of partnership with the community written by Júlio César Soares photo by Arthur Ikishima

H

er car has got stuck in mud

different businesses that serve

integral part of any business. And

again, but Caroline Todt de

as a handy reference guide for all

the Knowledge Community is the

Azevedo is used to it. As

companies and can be replicated

main agent for disseminating our

by anyone,” she observes.

Sustainability Policy until it’s in the

the Sustainability Manager at the Estaleiro Enseada do Paraguaçu

Nearly 300 members attend-

(EEP) company, she does essential

ed the launch of the publication,

work with residents of the town of

which took place in Panama in

Maragojipe in the Recôncavo Baia-

April. “When organizing this event,

no (the fertile bay region near Sal-

the group decided to minimize the

vador, Bahia), where Odebrecht is

format of talks by big names in the

building a shipyard in partnership

industry and opted to engage in

with UTC Engenharia, OAS and

two and a half days of work,” says

Kawasaki. Better known as Carol,

Carol. According to her, this meth-

she believes that people are the

od was successful. “Each mem-

driving force for the development

ber signed up for a topic that they

of the region and its ecosystems.

felt needed the most work in their

“Sustainability results from over-

project or company, applying what

coming barriers by working direct-

they experienced at the meeting to

ly with communities, and sharing

their line of work as systematically

common goals,” she argues.

as possible.”

In addition to her work at EEP,

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“The

Environmental

Group’s

Carol chairs the Social/Environ-

most important task is to provide

mental Working Group that is part

the tools that members need to

of the Odebrecht Knowledge Com-

go beyond the realm of ideas and

munity on Sustainability. Created in

transform sustainability into a

April of last year, the group plans to

work tool that is always present

gather and systemize projects and

on a project,” says Carol, adding:

measures related to that subject

“Sustainability is not just about

carried out within the organization.

preservation. It’s also about ef-

“We worked for a year to produce

fecting local development with

the Good Practices Handbook. It

the community’s active participa-

contains successful cases from

tion, and should be viewed as an

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Group’s blood, and that also goes

vocate a strong policy of sustain-

for the Action Plan and each and

ability,” she says.

After

every leader.”

graduating

Rossival Manuel da Silva, a resident of Enseada do Paraguaçu,

in

Biology

a former maroon community lo-

The daughter of a Brazilian

from the Federal University at Ba-

cated in the vicinity of the project,

mother from Pernambuco and a

hia (UFBA), Carol studied Molecu-

manages to get Carol’s car un-

German father, and herself the

lar Biology at the Oswaldo Cruz

stuck with the help of another lo-

mother of two, Caroline, 44, was

Foundation (Fiocruz), and earned

cal resident. She thanks them and

born in the city of Salvador. This

a Master’s degree in Sustainable

reflects on her difficult commute

is her first challenge at Ode-

Development from the University

to the shipyard. “I take the ferry

brecht, but she has already built

of Brasilia (UNB). She observes

from Salvador to Itaparica [Island].

up an accomplished track record

that seemingly unrelated subjects

Then I drive to Maragojipe for an

during several years of experi-

like those she focused on in her

hour and a half on muddy tracks

ence at companies like Ford and

academic career are more closely

and bad roads. However, confirm-

Petrobras. “I think that was a fac-

linked than you might think. “The

ing the potential of the work we

tor that led to my being elected

broader and more diverse your pro-

are doing to bring about integrated

group leader: the experience I’ve

fessional background is, the broad-

local development in this region

acquired at companies that, just

er your vision and the greater your

inspires me to get up willing and

like Odebrecht, maintain rigorous

understanding of the complexity of

ready to embrace this challenge,”

protocols on this subject and ad-

a project will be,” she argues.

Carol guarantees.

Caroline Azevedo: people from the community are the driving force for sustainable development

“Sustainability should be viewed as an integral part of any business” Carlos José: “Toda obra tem começo, meio e fim, mas esta aqui é permanente”

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Protecting the

mangrov written by Zoraida Chong photos by Pablo De Leon

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Panama City will be the first Latin American capital to have a Metropolitan Mangrove Park Observation deck built by Odebrecht in the Juan DĂ­az Mangrove: while enjoying the biodiversity, people are sensitized about the importance of the mangrove and its preservation

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very year, more than 2 million migratory birds - mainly shorebirds – arrive in Panama Bay, headed for a mangrove called Manglar de Juan Díaz. The birds put on a show, alongside the spectacular sight of crabs scuttling along the shore in search of food when the tide is low. The huge variety of marine animals that reproduce in this important natural habitat attracts the birds year after year. The biodiversity

of the Juan Díaz Mangrove is so rich that, in 2003, it was recognized as an area of international importance by the Ramsar Convention, a treaty signed by 162 countries that seeks to preserve the planet’s wetlands.

Nevertheless, the environmental, scientific and scenic treasures of the Juan Díaz Mangrove

coexist with human activity that is often harmful. The rising tide sweeps all kinds of refuse among the mangrove trees: we can see plastic bottles, household appliances, shoes, and many other items that were improperly discarded at some point. Even worse, when the tide goes out, the debris will stay and sink into the marshy soil, making the landscape a veritable sea of mud and garbage.

In this context, Odebrecht has found an opportunity to help raise the public’s awareness of the importance of wetlands and the need for civic participation in their conservation: Juan Díaz Mangrove Park.

Enjoying biodiversity The Juan Díaz Mangrove is a protected area located right next to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (PTAR) in the Panamanian capital, an important project being implemented by Odebrecht that will prevent the long-term pollution of rivers in the city and Panama Bay. One of the compensation measures included in the Environmental Impact Study for the plant was building an observation deck for migratory birds, which will allow visitors to enjoy the area’s biodiversity.

“The plant’s location has brought about an opportunity to go beyond the established environmental obligations and use this platform to develop a more comprehensive initiative,” explains Afranio Oliveira, the Project Director for the Panama Bay Clean-Up Project.

A Strategic Plan has been activated to bring partners together in the struggle to preserve the Juan Díaz Mangrove. On April 22 of this year (Earth Day), Anada Tiega, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, visited the mangrove and got a close look at the first Metropolitan Wetlands Park ever established in a major Latin American city.

As a result of her visit, Anada Tiega invited Odebrecht to give a presentation on the concept for the project at the 11th Conference of Parties in Bucharest in July. “This is an opportunity to analyze the consolidation of wetlands conservation and urban management. Moreover, we must underscore that this voluntary initiative comes from a company that has focused on the protection of the mangroves,” says Anada Tiega.

Ligia Castro, the Environment executive at the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), has also seen the results of the initiative for herself, and she is optimistic. “Today, more companies are doing the right thing. They are incorporating environmental externalities and committed to their social and environmental responsibility to improving areas in the vicinity of their projects.”

Francisco Martins, the Odebrecht Panama officer Responsible for Sustainability, is in charge of the presentation at the Bucharest conference. He observes: “The few minutes that it took to present the Mangrove Park project were enough to attract the attention of professionals from the other side of the planet, including leading technicians, managers and others who are doing outstanding work around the world to ensure the preservation of wetlands.”

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20 Maria del Carmen Piña: bringing lessons about the environment into the classroom

The Dominican Republic is building projects that are essential for the nation’s development while keeping a close eye on environmental conservation written by João Marcondes photos by Geraldo Pestalozzi

sense the art of good

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M

aria del Carmen Piña, 48, is a

the Americas) in 1492 may not have engaged in such

highly respected member of the

a disastrous practice. But it has been commonplace

community in Boechío, a town of

in local households for centuries. However, all that is

about 4,000 in San Juan Province,

changing now thanks to new ideas – thinking “green.”

Dominican Republic. This esteem

Residents are also learning about selective trash col-

was not earned with hard words and stern looks. She

lection, biodegradable alternatives to chemical de-

is admired for her generous smile, and wise, sweet

tergents, botany and the relationship between people

words like: “When teaching, you mustn’t be harsh.

and the environment.

You must be tender.”

To ensure that environmental education reaches

Maria del Carmen’s name rarely rings a bell. But

the widest possible audience, Odebrecht has spon-

just mention her nickname, Morena, and everyone

sored a training program for 38 local teachers. The

says: “Oh yes, I know her well!” Morena is a primary

project is accredited by Madre y Maestra Pontifical

school teacher. With her students, aged between

Catholic University and the Sur Futuro Foundation.

5 and 12, she implements a modern educational concept from the green perspective: cross-cutting.

Palomino hydroelectric plant

In other words, teaching environmental education

Boechío is located next to a project that is of the

through the regular curriculum. How about mea-

utmost importance to the Dominican Republic’s sus-

suring the area of devastated forest in math class?

tainable future: the Palomino Hydroelectric Plant (80

Or writing an essay about “Native Species of the Do-

MW), which began operations on August 11, 2012. In

minican Republic”?

addition to supplying energy to a country that badly

Outside class, students and local residents are

needs it, Palomino represents a major paradigm

encouraged to change their habits to ensure the sus-

shift: it is the first public project in the Dominican

tainability of the lush environment that surrounds

Republic to be approved as a Clean Development

them. “Did you know that people have been burn-

Mechanism (CDM).

ing trash in their backyards since Columbus’s day?” jokes Morena.

Palomino is recognized as a “green project” because it will generate carbon credits and offset pol-

The Amerindians who lived in the Dominican Re-

luting emissions around the world. It is the first in-

public when Columbus arrived in that country (and

ternational project Odebrecht has built under this

Palomino hydroelectric plant: recognized as a “green project,” it is Odebrecht’s first international project to be classified as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

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system. To adapt the project to that market, it had

Company), which intends to invest the carbon credits

to be registered with the United Nations and comply

in planting four million trees, as well as developing

with a number of sustainability requirements set by

projects that will enable rural workers to farm their

the Kyoto Protocol (1997).

land in a more environmentally sustainable way. Pal-

Fossil fuels are a predominant part of the Dominican Republic’s energy mix. About 85% of the coun-

omino will also increase the country’s hydroelectric potential by 15%.

try’s energy comes from coal, gas and other types of fuel. It does not produce oil, and almost everything

Miches Highway

is imported. The result: a daily energy deficit of 23%

Working in a 15-square-meter cubicle, Norma-

(of demand).

a modest salon in El Cedro, a rural community of

DR will stop importing 440,000 barrels of oil and

4,000 inhabitants. Three years ago, she decided to

producing 120,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. It is these figures that make the project a CDM. With the

join a Dominican Republic government project, quit

credits it will sell on the carbon market, the country

nity plant nursery.

will bring in about USD 700,000 per year over a 21year period.

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linda Cueva once made her living cutting hair in

Thanks to the energy Palomino generates, the

her job and devoted herself to tending to a commuWith few resources, the project was on its last legs. The seedlings were tangled up in the jungle

“What sets this project apart is that 65% of the

growth that had taken over the nursery. That is, un-

credits will be invested in environmental projects,”

til an Odebrecht team saw a sign saying “El Cedro

says Palomino Project Director Pedro Schettino, who

Association of Organic Nursery Growers.” With the

is clearly pleased with that prospect. The fact that the

support of the team building the Miches Highway,

money will be reinvested in environmental and social

the nursery has grown like a beanstalk. Completely

projects makes carbon credits an even more valuable

rebuilt, it is now equipped with a modern irrigation

(and liquid) asset. “The CDM rating has made the

system. Periodically, two agronomists visit the facil-

project more profitable for the Dominican Republic,”

ity and teach local residents to work the land. In just

says Victor Ventura, the former President of EGE-

three months, the number of seedlings has shot up

HID (the Dominican Hydroelectric Power Generation

from 3,000 to 10,000. All of them are sold to the Mi-

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The village of El Cedro: growing along with the country

Solar panels used to generate clean energy: new habits at the jobsites

ches Highway project, which will use them to replant The nursery growing seedlings for reforestation: with Odebrecht’s support, production has shot up from 3,000 to 10,000 seedlings

the slopes alongside the road.

“The most important thing is that Odebrecht has taught us the importance of sustainability. Now we feel like entrepreneurs, and we are looking forward to the major customers we will have once the highway is up and running, three years from now,” says Normalinda, 33, the President of the Association.

And customers will definitely come. The 110-km highway will run through an important tourist region of the country, which includes the towns of Bávaro, Uvero Alto, Miches and Sabana de la Mar, in the northeast of the country. The region contains 65% of all hotel rooms in the Dominican Republic.

The legacy will be a “green company” focused on environmental conservation. The recently installed jobsite and accommodations for the Miches project are a model of sustainability that should be followed throughout the country. In the “green camp,” as the jobsite accommodations are called, all outside lighting is powered by solar energy. The cost of that lighting over the course of the threeyear project will total USD 115,000, and produce zero carbon emissions. If conventional lighting had been used, it would require a 20kW diesel generator and 450W sodium vapor lamps. The total cost would be USD 118,000. What’s worse, it

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Official opening of the Coral Highway: linking the nation’s capital, Santo Domingo, and Punta Cana, a major tourist region. From left, Monsignor Nicanor Peña Rodríguez, Bishop of Altagracia; Franscisco Javier García, Minister of Tourism; Victor Días Rúa, then Minister of Public Works and Communications (foreground); Marcelo Odebrecht, President and CEO of Odebrecht S.A.; former President Leonel Fernández Reyna; Marco Cruz and (behind him) Project Director Juvenalito Gusmão

would also generate 68 metric tons of CO2 emis-

mark and guideline,” guarantees Marco Cruz, the

sions per year.

Odebrecht CEO for the Dominican Republic.

Sustainability is not just eco-friendly. It is peoplefriendly too. The “green camp” will leave another legacy for the communities: 56 solar panels and LED

Odebrecht has been present in the DR for 10 years,

lamps will be donated to schools and public health

building aqueducts, dams, roads and roadworks. One

clinics along the highway. Local residents will be

of these projects is the Coral Highway, which the Min-

trained to use the system.

ister of Tourism, Francisco Javier Garcia, has called a

Another step forward is recycling water in two

“masterpiece of landscaping.” Leonel Fernández Rey-

stages. First, water from bathroom faucets is di-

na, then President of the Dominican Republic, attended

rected to the toilets. Rainwater is also collected and

the opening ceremony for the highway on August 8, and

stored in tanks and pumped (with solar power) to

noted: “It is an unprecedented project for this country.”

the equipment yard, where it will be used to wash

Former President Fernández called the 70-km

vehicles and for other purposes. Just two days of

highway “strategic” because it connects roughly 65%

rainfall can yield up to 40,000 liters of water. “We

of the country’s hotels in an area that is highly popu-

have observed that this is a region with plenty of

lar with tourists. This new project has established

sunshine and lots of rain, so we developed this proj-

a closer link between the nation’s historic capital,

ect, which benefits the environment and our bottom

Santo Domingo, and the Punta Cana tourist region.

line,” observes Rodrigo Médicis, the officer Respon-

Tourism accounts for 22% of GDP and 19% of jobs.

sible for Production.

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Coral Highway

The environmentally friendly Coral Highway project

This concept can be seen in action throughout

was built in areas previously occupied by sugar plan-

the construction site. Through a technology that

tations and pasturelands. It also benefits residents of

is still under-utilized on jobsites – water hydro-

towns like Higuey, which used to suffer from the heavy

lysis (splitting molecules) – hydrogen is injected

traffic that passed through it. The large numbers of

into the fuel used in all engines, thereby reduc-

cars and trucks caused noise pollution and gave off

ing pollution. This system reduces energy costs

carbon emissions. Now that about 13,000 vehicles

by 15% and prevents emissions of 330 metric tons

per day have been diverted from the town to the Cor-

of CO2 per year. “I had seen it on paper but never

al Highway, local residents can finally enjoy a better

put into practice, like we’ve done here,” says Do-

quality of life and breathe cleaner air. “All our projects

minican engineer Leonardo Ogando, the officer

here, without exception, bear the hallmark of sustain-

Responsible for Industrial Plants. “This jobsite is

ability,” says Marco Cruz. “Both for people and the en-

so successful that from now on it will be a bench-

vironment.”

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FOLKS

Multiplier for TEO Gabriel and the satisfaction of being an educator in Angola’s Acreditar program

photo:

Carlos Júnior

G Outside the curve

year, when he will receive his medal for 10 years

of work at Odebrecht. An Angolan from Kwanza Norte Province, Gabriel migrated to Luanda at the age of 42.

Like many people, he was seeking safety there in a time of armed conflict. He arrived in the Angolan capital in 1986 and began making and selling wooden furniture at craft fairs. He joined Odebrecht as an assistant carpen-

João Borba and his increasingly productive relationship with sports

J

abriel Saúde is looking forward to the end of the

ter, but soon acquired more job skills and progressed in the company. He became a carpentry supervisor and leader, poured concrete, and took charge of tasks in-

oão Borba is the officer Responsible for New Busi-

volved in project delivery (finishing and cleaning). Today

ness at Odebrecht Infraestrutura (Infrastructure). A

he is teaching the basic module of the Acreditar (Believe)

sports buff (he played on Flamengo’s indoor soccer team

Ongoing Professional Education Program. He proudly

as a boy), he recently led a study focused on implementing

relates that he represented the program’s team at the

an information consolidation system used in the London

presentation of the Odebrecht Group’s Highlight Award

Olympics. Odebrecht has won an international tender to

in Sauípe, Brazil, last year. “I’m a multiplier of the Ode-

provide this service to the Organizing Committee for the

brecht Entrepreneurial Technology,” he says.

Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “I look for new business outside the curve, apart from the company’s dayHolanda Cavalcanti

tangible values to the company,” says Borba, one of the

gram, at the Almirante Adalberto Nunes Training Center in Rio de Janeiro, which is preparing athletes to become

photo:

medalists in future Olympic Games. “This project adds in-

foto:

with young participants from the Navy-Odebrecht Pro-

Guilherme Afonso

to-day activities,” he explains. In the photo, he is shown

mentors of this initiative.

Proud to be a Carioca

Eduardo Poley sees engineering as a way to help improve his hometown

E

ngineer Eduardo Poley Peçanha is 35 years old and has worked at Odebrecht for eight. A Carioca, meaning that he was born in the city of

Rio de Janeiro, he has always worked in his home state. Eduardo is currently participating in the revamp of Maracanã Stadium, one of the city’s most

photo:

Américo Vermelho

iconic landmarks. Previously, he worked on the Morro do Alemão project in one of Rio’s most underprivileged communities, where Odebrecht was a partner in Consórcio Rio Melhor (Better Rio), the joint venture responsible for infrastructure services there. “That project was a reality check,” he says.

“I’m proud to have helped reduce the hardships of people living in the communities in my city. And I make sure to show that to my two-year-old son Arthur,” he says, with a catch in his voice.

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understand.

LOVE. Defend.

written by Mayara Thomazini photos by Márcio Lima

Environmental educator Mário César de Sousa with students at the Green Belt: the environmental preservation area shelters 280,000 seedlings, 200 different types of plants and 400 wild animals informa

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T

he Green Belt is a 150-ha environmental protection area located in the restinga area of the Pontal da Barra neighborhood, in the northeastern Brazilian city of Maceió (a restinga is a tropical forest common to coastal areas of Bra-

zil). It is home to 280,000 seedlings, 200 types of plants and 400 wild animals. Established in 1987 alongside the Braskem Chlor-Alkali unit to enable the environmental recovery of the region, this nature preserve was uninhabited and barren until it was reborn through soil recovery, the reconstruction of sand dunes and the restoration of restinga Atlantic Forest. “Today it is a new habitat that shelters animals and plants,” says agronomist Mário Calheiros de Lima, clearly moved. Mário is the director of the Green Belt, and participated actively in its implementation.

The Green Belt Environmental Station was born with the goal of promoting the natural development of flora and fauna, and has become a sanctuary for birds and other animals from the surrounding region - a suitable environment in which local wildlife can survive and reproduce.

Open to the public, the Green Belt has been certified as an Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve in the state of Alagoas (by UNESCO) and a Conservationist Nursery for Brazilian Wildlife (by IBAMA, Brazil’s environmental protection agency). By 2012, after a decade of contributions from Braskem, more than 180,000 people had visited the Environmental Station. “The approximately 1,300 people who visit the project every month leave there with a different concept of preservation. The Belt symbolizes the reconciliation of technological development and the balance of nature,” says Mário Calheiros.

In addition to protecting plant and animal life, the Green Belt’s mission is to disseminate important concepts like sustainable development. It carries out several sustainable programs focused on the professional development of the communities closest to the Station, such as hydroponics and beekeeping, carried out in partnership with the Lagoa Viva Institute.

Green Belt and Lagoa Viva Programs in Alagoas bolster environmental awareness born from a love for nature

Hydroponics and Honey Fishers Hydro (water) and ponia (work). Together, these words indicate a way of mixing nutrients to grow plants without soil. It is a simple method aimed at reducing costs by using rice husks as substrate and reusing PET bottles as containers. Two hundred and fifty students have already learned to use this method.

Some of the produce they grow is used to make school lunches, and the rest is sold, with proceeds donated to the community.

The project has proven to be crucial for improving the community’s quality of life, since it generates jobs and sources of income throughout the year. informa

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Mário Calheiros (left) and Biology student Diogo Santos at the Green Belt apiary: Honey Fishers project offers a new source of income for local residents

The Honey Fishers project has changed the lives of dozens of local people in the lagoon region of Alagoas.

gion,” says Lagoa Viva Institute Chair Lenice Santos de Moraes proudly.

Crab gatherers, artisans and fishermen are discovering

Active for 11 years, Lagoa Viva benefits Alagoas

that beekeeping is a new source of year-round income.

residents in 40 counties. “Teachers are crucial to their

Today, more than 100 families receive about two mini-

students’ development. Therefore, we share knowledge

mum salaries (BRL 1,244) per month by producing and

of environmental education with them to help them de-

selling honey, beeswax, pollen and Alagoas red propo-

velop a new outlook in relation to the environment and

lis – a variety exclusive to the region.

the community. Our challenge is to plant that little seed

Beekeeping allows fishermen to add BRL 622 to their monthly incomes. Fifty fishermen/beekeepers

in the towns and cities so they can keep the project going on their own,” argues Lenice.

now make two minimum salaries per month. “Bee-

In 2011 alone, Lagoa Viva trained about one thousand

keeping is perfectly compatible with their other activi-

teachers, benefiting over 200,000 public school students

ties, and the producers learn to reconcile it with fishing

in Alagoas. “Our work aims to sensitize people about the

and the preservation of nature,” says Mário.

need to respect the environment and value ethical, cultural and social/environmental aspects to encourage sus-

Lagoa Viva: benchmark for environmental education

tainable living in each community,” says Lenice.

Created in 2001 in the Pontal da Barra district, the

is training. She has been in the profession for 18 years,

Lagoa Viva (Living Lagoon) Environmental Education

and works at the Dona Maria de Araújo Lobo School in

Program organizes ongoing environmental education

Marechal Deodoro. She joined Lagoa Viva in 2007 with the

seminars for elementary school teachers in Alagoas

aim of getting young people interested in environmental

Izabel Cristina Alves is one of the teachers the institute

and training courses for fishing communities from the Mundaú and Manguaba lagoon area, helping the local community create sources of income and fostering the sustainability of ecosystems in the region. Braskem sponsors this initiative in partnership with 40 municipal boards of education in Alagoas, as well as the Maceió Department of Education.

“Over the years, this program has made a significant contribution to improving the quality of life of local residents, and it is now hugely important to the re-

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A wild animal from the Green Belt Environmental Station: a refuge that ensures survival and enables reproduction

Robson Araujo with students in the hydroponics garden

schools and at facilities in their own communities. In addition to hydroponics and beekeeping, the program Lenice Moraes, Chair of the Lagoa Viva Institute: disseminating sustainable methods

also offers music, English, silkscreen and arts and crafts classes.

Lace handicrafts and plastic artworks One of Alagoas’s strongest traditions is filé making (a technique that consists of weaving cotton with a bamboo needle that is later placed on a loom where it is embroidered and transformed into lovely handmade items). The Lagoa Viva Program identified this special talent in the community, present throughout the Mundaú-Manguaba Lagoon Estuary Complex, but on the verge of extinction. Thanks to filé-making classes, that tradition resurfaced in four years, and 365 people have learned the secrets of this traditional art.

Lagoa Viva is also contributing on another front through workshops that teach people to reuse PET bottles and make a varied range of products that can

issues. Her students have been taking part in workshops

be sold to generate income for families from discarded

for junior managers for two months now.

materials that can now be put to a new use.

“They’ve become more responsible and aware, and

“The Art with Plastic workshop teaches artisans

have changed their behavior: they used to scribble on

to work with a material that is useful and easy to find,

the chairs and walls of the school, but they don’t do that

which adds value to local handicrafts,” says artisan

anymore,” she explains, adding: “Now they are prepar-

Cícera Cirilo, who teaches practical environmental ed-

ing lectures on environmental education to present to

ucation classes for teachers, students and community.

the community.”

The Green Belt and Lagoa Viva Institute are projects

In addition to being a tool for environmental edu-

that help improve people’s quality of life because they

cation, the program also helps create jobs and sourc-

provide training, technical assistance and help in mar-

es of income while preserving local culture through

keting products, creating jobs and income all year round,

classes and workshops held at the Green Belt, in

changing the lives of dozens of local residents.

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INTERVIEW

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From left,Saulo Nunes, Augusto Roque and Rogério Ibrahim: social/ environmental programs play a leading role in entrepreneurial activities

no going

back written by José Enrique Barreiro photo by Júlio Bitencourt

O

debrecht Informa recently got together with three Group members to discuss the environment. Augusto Roque, the officer Responsible for Engineering and Business Development at Odebrecht Energia; Rogério Ibrahim, the officer Responsible

for Finance, Investment and Export Credit at Odebrecht América Latina, and Saulo Nunes, the officer Responsible for Acquisitions at Odebrecht Realizações Imobiliárias (Real Estate Developments; OR), analyzed the decisive role of environmental issues in Brazil and other countries today and highlighted the factors that set Odebrecht apart in regard to social/environmental initiatives on major projects. The following is a summary of that conversation.

Odebrecht Informa – What sort of role does the environment play in Engineering & Construction projects today?

Augusto Roque – The environment plays a leading role today. It is a very important issue. The initial perception that an entrepreneur who wants to invest in energy should have is that the environment is not an expense, it is an investment. The more you know about the environment you are

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working in, the more competitive the project will be,

construction to begin. The investor who produces a

and you will also have a better relationship with the

suitable EIA-RIMA and obtains a comprehensive LI

community. Today, the concept is social/environmental

will get started on the project faster, will have a bet-

action, which must be proactive throughout the pro-

ter relationship with the community, and will establish

cess of planning and construction, with Engineering

a relationship of trust with most of the major players

teams working closely with the Environment teams to

(IBAMA, IPHAN and others). And it all culminates in

ensure that the community accepts the solution they

the Operating License (LO), which is required to start

ultimately devise.

generating power.

Rogério Ibrahim – In terms of project financing, for

Ibrahim – We have followed all kinds of financing pro-

some years now this subject has been one of the cri-

cesses for clients, especially from multilateral and

teria for loan approval from any bank. Banks from

export credit agencies. The decisive factor is that the

all countries have signed on en masse to the Equa-

project must be absolutely in line with the Equator

tor Principles [the environmental requirements used

Principles. This means rigorous environmental plan-

when granting financing for large projects]. Environ-

ning, including how the communities will be treated,

mental matters, or social/environmental issues, as

advance environmental monitoring and subsequent

Roque so aptly put it, are the touchstone for any kind

assistance. The funding bodies keep a close eye on the

of funding, any loans you want to obtain in the field of

progress of the project. This monitoring, which used to

major construction projects.

be purely environmental, focusing on fish, water qual-

Saulo Nunes – I would like to extend this conversation

ity, air pollution levels, etc., is now also done with re-

to include sustainability in general, including economic,

spect to the community, to ensure that it is well cared

social and environmental balance. It is present in the

for and its way of life is respected.

City Park project, which we are developing in São Paulo.

Nunes – The process is similar in our case. If I don’t

It is being built in an approximately 80,000-sq.m area on

have a project that will enthuse the City Government

Nações Unidas Avenue, where the old Monark factory

and other institutions, I will not get it approved. The

used to stand. We decided to build the most sustainable

City Park project is getting started in one of the most

real estate project in Brazil on that site, based on a plan

desirable areas of the South Zone of São Paulo and,

to revitalize the area and social diagnostics. We engaged

as an Odebrecht Group company, we had an obligation

in dialogue with local residents and gained an in-depth

to do something different. We came up with the basic

understanding of the project’s social impact.

concept of a compact city where everything is close at hand: work, home, recreation and services. To make

32

OI – Can you describe the approval processes for proj-

the project feasible, we got to know the local commu-

ects?

nity, public agencies and social organizations. With our

Roque – In the hydropower area, which is the most

ability to listen, influence and be influenced, we were

significant field in this regard, the licensing process is

able to reconcile the interests of all the stakeholders

long and complex. It begins with an inventory of the river

and develop the best design. The urban planning, ar-

where the dam will be built, through an Integrated Envi-

chitectural and landscaping solutions for this project

ronmental Assessment (AAI) of drainage basins. An AAI

incorporate environmental aspects and people’s qual-

could derail a dam construction project. For example,

ity of life, while benefiting the region.

the only project that can be carried out on the Xingu

Roque – I’d like to call attention to Acreditar [Believe],

River is Belo Monte, and that’s it. Once the inventory

a professional education program that is having a ma-

has been approved by the Government with the involve-

jor impact. It was created for the Santo Antônio project,

ment of specific entities and agents, the feasibility stage

which expected to hire 15,000 workers, 30% locally and

begins with the development of an Integrated Environ-

70% from other states. Through Acreditar, we had nearly

mental Impact Assessment (EIA-RIMA). All this is done

50,000 applicants and “inverted the curve.” Today, 70% to

to obtain an advance license authorizing the hydroelec-

80% of the professionals building Santo Antônio are lo-

tric project to go to auction. Whoever wins the auction

cal hires. This means we’ve prevented migration, created

must obtain an Installation License (LI), which allows

opportunities and empowered local people. The project

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has been replicated throughout Brazil and in other coun-

generates. There are countless examples in all areas.

tries, and the most amazing thing is that, as a result of

It’s right there in the Odebrecht Group’s Vision for

this program, training local workers is now a social/envi-

2020: Sustainability. It is one of the pillars of that vi-

ronmental condition for project approval.

sion. Odebrecht wants to grow, yes, but in a sustainable way. It’s our top priority. That’s how it has to be

OI – At what stage is Brazil on the environmental issue?

from now on.

Roque – We have some of the toughest legislation in

Ibrahim – What sets us apart is the expertise of our

the world. All communities are heard. The FUNAI [Na-

teams and our approach to the subject. Getting in-

tional Amerindian Foundation], IPHAN [National Heri-

volved with communities, improving their quality of

tage Institute], National Water Agency (ANA) and IBAMA

life, respecting citizens, all this is part of our cul-

[Environmental Protection Agency] all participate, and

ture. We were doing all this a long time before there

municipalities and state governments must weigh in as

was an external demand for it. We did it on our own

well. Everyone has to be OK with it; if not, the venture

initiative as entrepreneurs, not just as a contractual

will not go ahead. Brazil is very strict in this regard.

obligation.

Ibrahim – This issue was once seen as a form of com-

Nunes – The Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology

pensation for the community. When a project was built,

[TEO] is fundamental to our conception and approval

the people who suffered the impacts received compen-

processes. City Park will not have walls. Sixty-two

sation, either financial or otherwise. But not today. Now

thousand square meters of its 80,000-sq.m area will be

we must plan and know what will happen to that com-

open to the public. Furthermore, it will contain 22,000

munity and that environmental space after the project

sq.m of green areas, which will form a linear park. To

is built. Of course, some impacts are inevitable. That

make this project possible, we learned some important

can and will be remedied. As for avoidable impacts,

lessons from the works of Mr. Norberto Odebrecht, in-

we have to look for solutions for consolidation and im-

cluding the acumen an entrepreneur requires to trans-

provement, whether it involves the environment or the

form uncertainty into opportunities. This happened

communities. The outlook today, in Brazil and around

when we acquired the land. We turned uncertainty into

the world, is more along these lines.

an opportunity. The OR factor is the Odebrecht factor.

Nunes – Sustainability is the only way forward. There is

What do we do differently from other real estate com-

no going back. And all projects must incorporate sus-

panies? Listening to our clients, getting to know them,

tainable features. City Park will have 10 towers, includ-

influencing and being influenced, and everything else

ing five corporate buildings, an office building and two

that TEO has to offer.

residential towers, a mall and a hotel, and all of them will be certified. This is the first project in South Amer-

OI – Do the other agents recognize the Odebrecht dif-

ica to be pre-certified for the LEED-ND (Neighborhood

ference?

Development) seal from the US Green Building Coun-

Roque – The way Odebrecht handles the environ-

cil. This certification covers the entire complex. We’ve

mental issue has created a special bond of trust with

received an invitation from the Clinton Foundation and

stakeholders in the sector. We realize this clearly. Ev-

the C40 summit to participate, and we are taking part

eryone recognizes us as trusted partners. We have

in a program called Climate Positive to neutralize car-

credibility. For example, when we tell IBAMA, “We’ll

bon emissions. The Clinton Foundation only sponsors

do that,” IBAMA can be sure that it will get done. It

18 projects around the world, and ours is one of them.

is a relationship of trust that can only be built up in

Programs and accolades like these show that we are

practice.

truly committed to the issue.

Ibrahim – We have the best possible reputation in the Brazilian and international financial community. Our

OI – What sets Odebrecht apart when it comes to the

approach and expertise are outstanding. We are lead-

environment?

ers in this market.

Roque – It is the flexibility of our engineering to adapt

Nunes – There’s no doubt about it. We get credit for ev-

a project to the social/environmental requirements it

erything we have done and are doing today.

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Plant nursery at the Santo Ant么nio jobsite: 124 native plant species

34 Demonstrating that environmental conservation and development can go hand in hand when building the Santo Ant么nio hydroelectric plant

34

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vital

adapting is

T

written by João Paulo Carvalho photos by Sérgio Amaral

he construction of the Santo Antônio hy-

According to the Odebrecht Energia officer Respon-

droelectric plant on the Madeira River in

sible for Sustainability, Luiz Gabriel Azevedo, “Instead

Porto Velho, Brazil, is proof positive that

of leaving it until the last minute, as in most cases, we

socioeconomic development and envi-

officially requested the LO from IBAMA in December

ronmental conservation can walk in the

2010, and asked them to point out the required adjust-

same direction. So far, BRL 1.6 billion of the total BRL

ments associated with the steps we were completing.”

16 billion expected to be invested in the project have

This streamlined the process so the license for

been allocated to sustainability programs. Between

Santo Antônio was issued in September 2011, and

the time fieldwork for the project began in 2001 and

the first four bulb turbines started generating power

the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment

almost a year ahead of schedule. “It was a partner-

(EIA/RIMA) in 2006, every aspect of the project was de-

ship that brought together professionals from both

signed to be socially and environmentally sustainable.

sides, and which is now praised by IBAMA and rep-

For example, this process led to a 26% reduction of

licated in other licensing processes in Brazil,” says

the area authorized for clearing and deforestation at

Luiz Gabriel. Furthermore, it has helped reduce the

the jobsite.

need for thermal energy, the type most commonly

In response to the worrying initial diagnosis that

used in the region.

there was a shortage of skilled labor in the region,

Acreditar graduates are helping operate the treat-

the Santo Antônio project gave rise to Acreditar, the

ment processes for construction-generated waste.

professional education program that has empowered

Comparable to a town with a population that has

more than 53,000 workers in Brazil alone. It also miti-

reached over 18,000 workers, the Santo Antônio con-

gated one of the venture’s biggest risks, which was

struction site has introduced procedures that are more

also cause for concern for local residents, who were

stringent than those adopted by most cities in the re-

accustomed to seeing different “booms” come and go

gion. The first licensed landfill in the state of Rondô-

– rubber planting, the Madeira-Mamoré railroad and

nia was built at the jobsite, a model that has already

gold mining – leaving nothing behind but memories.

been replicated by the towns of Lábria, in Amazonas,

Walking in the same direction was also the choice

and Guajará-Mirim, in Rondônia. The Consórcio Santo

Santo Antônio Energia (SAE) made in relation to the

Antônio Civil (CSAC) joint venture’s Environment team

Brazilian Environment and Renewable Natural Re-

set itself the goal of recycling 82% of everything that is

sources Institute (IBAMA), the nation’s environmental

used in the construction project. “Only 15% of waste is

agency, to make it possible to reach a voluntary target

sent to the landfill, which was built in compliance with

set for the project: generating power ahead of sched-

all environmental legislation requirements,” explains

ule. Thanks to planning, alignment and commitment,

Nelson Alves, the CSAC officer Responsible for Envi-

the company achieved that goal on March 30 of this

ronment. According to Nelson, this project’s success

year as a result of proactive measures taken by SAE and

is due to the commitment of each individual company

IBAMA with the support of Odebrecht Energia to obtain

member. “We don’t have a specific recycling team like

an Operating License (LO) for the hydroelectric plant.

other projects. Everything here is down to individual

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workers’ efforts to sort trash for recycling. They have

This system has resulted in a 50% reduction in the

already incorporated this habit in their daily routines at

use of other reagents, while slashing the cost of treat-

work and at home,” he adds.

ment and the amount of water removed from the river, and the sludge can be reused as organic matter in land

Waste management

reclamation, along with seedlings grown in nurseries

CSAC has implemented a Waste Management Center

that house more than 200,000 units of 124 native plant

that consolidates the measures taken in different areas of the

species. This initiative, devised by Environment team

jobsite. Water, the raw material for the operations of any hy-

member Anelisa Cantieri, was among the winners of

droelectric plant, receives VIP treatment at San Antônio. Five

the 2010 Odebrecht Highlight Awards.

Water Treatment Plants (WTPs), with a total recycling capacity

The approximately 20,000 liters of lube oil that ma-

of 560 cu.m/h, enough to supply a city of 50,000, reclaim wa-

chines at the jobsite consume monthly are sent to the

ter through the Closed Loop process. In the WTPs, aluminum

city of Cuiabá for re-refining, and fluorescent lamps

sulfate is replaced with an organic reagent produced from

undergo a special recycling process to remove mercury

tannin extracted from the bark of the black wattle tree, whose

(a highly polluting metal). Aluminum parts are set aside

trade name is Organic Veta. This substitution of reagents

for recycling, and glass is crushed and decontaminated

makes it possible to treat and recycle the sludge produced

after removing the phosphorus powder, which is sent to

by washing clarifiers and filters, which returns to the water

cement plants and other processing industries.

storage tanks after going through a system of porous pockets

The industrial kitchen, which has reached the

that retain the sludge and let the treated water flow through.

milestone of 25 million meals served throughout the

Treating water with the Closed Loop system: clean water flows out, sludge stays in

36

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Santo Antônio Dam: BRL 1.6 billion of the BRL 16-billion investment is being used to finance sustainability projects

Preserving local wildlife: the parrot and sloth are guests at the Wildlife Screening Center (CETAS

project, produces about 2 metric tons of food scraps per day. The waste is initially stored in special walkin freezers and then sent to the composting center, where it will be turned into fertilizer used to grow seedlings for the replanting process that is part of the Degraded Areas Recovery Program (PRADE). All of this is done with the best practices available in the world.

Even the small amount of waste that cannot be recycled has a place to go. Replicating an experiment conducted by the Brazilian Navy Base in Antarctica, Santo Antônio has purchased two hazardous waste incinerators that are used to dispose of discarded oil filters, used rags and other materials that would contaminate the soil or take years and years to decompose. The jobsite incinerates 6 to 8 metric tons of waste per month. “Santo Antônio was the first hydroelectric project in Brazil to acquire this equipment, and in less than eighteen months, the savings have offset the investment,” says Nelson Alves.

Preserving native wildlife is also a priority.

Since construction began, approximately 104,000 animals have been rescued and most have been returned to the wild. When they need veterinary care and cannot go back to their natural habitat immediately, they are taken to the Wildlife Screening Center (CETAS). Dodge and Zorrinho are, respectively, a puma and a sloth. Both 4 months old, they are currently housed at CETAS. These two youngsters are part of the group of about 70 wild animals that are currently being treated at the center. Built and funded entirely by Santo Antônio Energia through a BRL 5-million investment, CETAS will soon be transferred to IBAMA, which will also use the facility to address other local needs. To date, the center has cared for more than 1,900 animals.

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38

On a project in Portugal, the past and present come together to leave a priceless legacy

vestiges of a lonG journey

38

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O

written by Fabiana Cabral photos by Edu Simões n a mountaintop in the Trás-os-Montes region, the bright Portuguese summer sun shines on steady hands and precise movements that shift trowels and brushes from side to side under watchful eyes. The work stops when faint lines appear on one of the pieces discovered

there. “We’ve found more than 290 slabs with rock graphics here, including geometric figures and pictures of warriors on horses,” says Filipe Santos, trying to identify the graphic. He and 50 other archaeologists are working on the top of a hill called Castelinho, the largest mobile rock art site on the Iberian Peninsula, and two other sites.

Filipe is in charge of the ethno-archaeological studies being carried out for the Baixo Sabor Hydroelectric Project.

A fortified settlement dating from the Second Iron Age (up to 1,200 years BC), with a wall that can be up to 11 m thick, Castelinho (“little castle” in Portuguese) is one of the 2,500 archaeological sites within the area of the project being built for EDP Energia by OdebrechtBento Pedroso e Construções and Lena Construções in the northern Portuguese district of Bragança. The Baixo Sabor Dam is one of the biggest construction projects in that country, and includes the largest archaeology program underway on the peninsula. “Residents will be able to learn more about the region’s past, which was previously unknown, thanks to the archaeological ‘treasures’ being found,” says Project Director Gilberto Costa.

The work began in February 2010 in the towns of Mogadouro, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Alfândega da Fé and Torre de Moncorvo. According to Paulo Dordio, the officer Responsible for the Heritage Protection Program, archaeological research was included in the Environmental Impact Study. “We expected to find 240 sites, but we now have 10 times more than that. Each work front is accompanied by an archaeologist,” he explains.

One recent discovery proves that the region has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period (10,000 to 30,000 years BC). Soundings had already indicated a human presence in Roman times (27 BC to 395 AD) and the Middle Ages (the 10th to 15th centuries AD).

The archaeologists are also using creativity, along with the artifacts they are finding, to recreate the daily lives of people from those periods. It is an ongoing exercise, focused mainly on the Cilhades site, a group of buildings from the Modern/Contemporary Era with the same architectural model, modified over the years. “There were auxiliary farm buildings used for harvesting and producing almonds, olive oil and wine, which were still common in this region,” says Filipe Santos, who adds:

A dig site in Monte Castelinho: unearthing archaeological treasures

“We’ve found several items such as pottery, farm tools and some coins.

The oldest is a King Sebastian coin dating from the 16th century.”

Nearby, at the Laranjal site, anthropologist Zélia Maria Rodrigues completes the excavation of a skeleton. “This was a grown woman,” she says, in the shadow of the umbrella that protects the bones. The

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Baixo Sabor Dam: one of Portugal’s largest civil engineering projects

former cemetery contains 170 graves from the medieval

water moles, wolves and fish at several points in the

period. Archaeologists and anthropologists conduct

construction area, as well as a “control zone” outside

preliminary analyses there to identify each skeleton’s

that perimeter. “We compare studies of these sites to

gender, age and cause of death.

check for any changes in the lives of these animals,”

The materials collected at the archaeological sites

says Vingada. They use a range of methods: analysis of

are taken to a laboratory set up at the construction site

animal scat and habitats, and observation using about

for cleaning, sorting, treatment and study. “Even a 2-mm

80 video cameras set up in several places in the forests,

piece can be analyzed and identified,” says André Tereso,

among others.

the officer Responsible for Assets.

Plant and animal life If archaeology studies the human past by examining things people left behind, monitoring the flora and fauna of the Baixo Sabor involves knowing and preserving the present-day environment, which is impacted by the project.

In the Mogadouro Valley region, José Vingada and seven biologists equipped with wetsuits, helmets, flashlights and recording equipment enter a culvert in the middle of the dry forest. It is one of the 80 bat habitats in that area. “We’ve already catalogued 25 different species, including a rare one, the Black Bat,” explains the Coordinator of the Wildlife and Aquatic Ecosystems Monitoring Project. Every three months, he and his team conduct an analysis of the animals through observation, measurements of temperature and the humidity of their shelters, and assessments of noise levels.

They also examine the development of eagles, otters,

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Mariana Santos and Duarte Filipe Silva keep a close eye on native plants: making sure that nothing changes

tugal because of this project, because they

For aquatic ecosystems, the team conducts physi-

can adapt and survive changes in environ-

cal and chemical diagnostics in 25 spots along a 16-

ment, climate and vegetation,” Mariana adds.

km stretch of the Sabor River, which has a total length of 70 km, as well as two “control zones.”

Historical and environmental legacy

“We need to ensure the survival of local species, because fish and macroinvertebrates indicate water quality,” explains the biologist.

The Baixo Sabor teams’ research will benefit from

In the first week of August, the team carried out one

the completion of the Environmental Interpretation and

of its most challenging tasks: transporting fish down-

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (CIARA), which is being es-

stream and upstream before that stretch of the river was

tablished in Torre de Moncorvo. “The CIARA will be an im-

diverted and the water level was lowered. The transfer

portant legacy for the local community and environmental

was done by professionals, accompanied by representa-

education,” says Gilberto Costa.

tives of official agencies.

The Hydroelectric Project is developing 12 programs fo-

On the right bank of the Sabor, environmental engi-

cused on wildlife and aquatic ecosystems, plants, air and

neer Mariana Santos takes notes while biologist Duarte

water quality and preservation of historical and cultural

Filipe Silva observes some native plants from the Trás-

heritage. “The teams are comprised of more than 360 peo-

os-Montes region. Every three months, they scour the

ple, including environmental engineers, biologists, archae-

area, analyzing more than 400 types of plants, including

ologists and anthropologists,” says Augusta Fernandes, the

25 rare species, and keep an eye on “invasive” plants.

Coordinator of the project’s Integrated Management Sys-

“We’ve found more species than there were in previous

tem for Quality, Environment and Workplace Safety.

studies,” said Filipe.

Bureau Veritas Certification approved these programs

Every year, these professionals prepare a plant life in-

in 2010 in all three sectors. “This recognition sets us apart

ventory that counts and records the species found near the

in the market, honors the client and demonstrates our

construction site and in the “control zones” for compari-

competence in quality, safety, and especially in regard to

son. “No species have ceased or will cease to exist in Por-

protecting the environment,” concludes Gilberto Costa.

Monitoring aquatic ecosystems: fish and macroinvertebrates indicate water quality

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collecting written by Luciana Lana photos by Bruna Romaro

One highlight of the Chaglla hydroelectric plant construction project in Peru is the pioneering program to rescue plant and animal life, a first in that country 42

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42

I

n Peru, the steep slopes of the Andes Mountains, which tower over 5,000 meters high, are known as yungas. The yungas follow the river valleys, and are characterized by forest vegetation.

Down below, the lowlands are covered with dense rainforests.

This is the setting where the Chaglla hydroelectric plant is under

construction in Huánuco, 540 km from Lima, the nation’s capital.

SULTS

Chaglla is an extremely bold engineering project, due to the topography alone. But more than that, the hydroelectric plant has established itself as an example of environmental conservation. One of the highlights is the program to rescue plant and animal life, a first in that country. “There has never been a project like this anywhere in Peru,” says biologist Rafael Tamashiro, the Odebrecht officer Responsible for the Environment on the Chaglla project. Although Rafael has extensive experience of working in protected areas and with environmental preservation agencies, such as the National Institute of Agrarian Research, this is his first private-sector project: “This country needs infrastructure, and I decided to do my preservation work within the scope of major projects like this one,” he explains.

New level of sustainability The Chaglla hydropower plant is an Odebrecht Energia investment, built by Odebrecht AL (Latin America) in Peru. The Environmental Impact Study Odebrecht Energia conducted to obtain the concession was the first step in an extensive effort to chart and study the region.

“There was no record of the flora and fauna present here. So we set out to identify species, assess the risk of extinction and make diagnoses,” says Rafael, adding that to ensure the continuity of the research, records are sent to the National Agrarian University of the Rainforest (UNAS) in Tingo Maria, a neighboring city.

Once the initial reports were submitted, the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment approved the project. Because it is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), which is a signatory of the Equator Principles, further studies were also required.

“From that point on, the challenge was to bring the project to a new level: world-class environmental sustainability. The detail and scope of the studies go far beyond what is normally required,” explains Luiz Gabriel Azevedo, the officer Responsible for Sustainability at Odebrecht Energia. He highlights the research done to maintain the river ecosystem: “We had to study the behavior of all the fish species there to ensure that none of them would be impacted.”

The same precautions were taken with mammals, reptiles and birds. The researchers discovered some new species, which were sent to the UNAS Zoo and then returned to the wild. Their work with local plant life goes beyond rescuing native species: because the region is Composting with organic waste from the jobsite: used to cultivate local plants

an ideal habitat for orchids, Odebrecht Energia is training local people to grow these flowers, and two orchid nurseries are already up and running. “I didn’t know anything about orchids, but now I can identify

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The Chaglla hydroelectric plant’s tunnel with yungas in the background: swathes of native vegetation that rise up to the peaks of the Andes mountains

the ground orchids, the epiphytes and the lithophytes. I learned everything right here,” says Isaías Atachagua, who classifies orchid species at the hydroelectric plant’s nursery. They have planted nearly 3,500 orchids and catalogued about 130 species.

The areas for composting and growing seedlings used to replant slopes are located near the orchid nursery. “Organic waste from the project is treated and the fertilizer is distributed in the communities,” says Maximo Evaristo Jorge, the officer Responsible for composting.

Archaeology and migration Preserving historic sites is another concern at Chaglla. Excavations supervised by archaeologists have found remnants of the past (bones, musical instruments, pottery, fossils) that led to a change in the design of the plant’s facilities to preserve an archaeological site. “Here we have found indications that the Incas descended the mountain range in the direction of the rainforest,” says Patrícia Robles, the officer Responsible for archaeological services.

From the social outreach standpoint, the project is also making a contribution to the region, which was sparsely populated until construction began. “Due to the low population density, there was practically no need for rehousing, but workers have been migrating to the area near the project, and we are helping communities create their own urban development plans,” explains Project

Patrícia Robles: vestiges of the Inca civilization

Director Sergio Panicali. He observes that the settlements have many requirements. “The company is helping these communities get organized,” says Panicali, commenting on the formation of Advisory Boards for the Fight against Poverty, which bring together community leaders.

“One of our priorities is sanitation [water and sewage]. The other is setting up a health clinic,” says Edgar Zevallos Cano, Mayor of Pampamarca, a community that is actively participating in the Advisory Boards. He believes that Odebrecht’s support was instrumental in setting development goals and strategies. “With the company’s help, we will soon be installing a landfill,” he says.

Other contributions to the community include supporting farm production – such as purchasing produce, providing community buses carrying about 1,200 people daily, and offering waste management training. Not to mention the Ongoing Professional Education Program,

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Workers in the orchid nursery: local residents are being trained to grow these flowers

or Creer (Believe), an adaptation of Odebrecht’s Acredi-

The Chaglla hydropower plant will have 456 MW of

tar Program. More than 1,300 people have graduated

installed power and a reservoir covering just 4.7 square

so far, and 35% are now working at the jobsite. “This is

kilometers. “This ratio makes the project an interna-

an example of how the project’s investors can share the

tional benchmark,” says Erlon Arfelli, CEO of Odebrecht

benefits with the communities, aligning business goals

Energia in Peru. After working on large hydroelectric

with opportunities for social and economic development

projects in Brazil and other countries, Arfelli expresses

for the region,” says IADB Director Fidel Jaramillo, the

special pride in the work being done in Chaglla: “It is the

bank’s representative in Peru.

first time the Odebrecht Group has participated as an investor in a power project outside Brazil. Because the

Local bird: making a record of all the wildlife in the region in partnership with the National Agrarian University of the Rainforest

concessions are permanent, we are establishing an enduring relationship with the region. This is a tremendous responsibility.”

Chaglla is also having a major impact on Peru’s energy mix: it represents the resumption of mid-size dam construction in that country. “Peru has 60,000 MW of hydropower potential, and to maintain the growth experienced in the last 10 years, the country has to go from the current 6,300 MW of installed capacity to over 13,000 MW by 2020. Chaglla will be one of the largest hydroelectric dams in the country, supplying clean energy to meet about 6% of the total demand,” says Erlon Arfelli. According to Fidel Jaramillo, the clean energy generated by the Chaglla hydroelectric plant could reduce Peru’s CO2 emissions by 1.8 million metric tons per year. “This project can become a benchmark for sustainable energy development in Peru,” says the IADB director.

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Destination

eco-sustaina E written by Leonardo Maia

photos by Almir Bindilatti

very year, the North Coast of Bahia’s nat-

Otherwise, the clients for this type of product will go

ural beauty and rich ecosystem, blessed

elsewhere. They are looking for authenticity,” says

with wetlands, mangroves and patches

Franklin Mira, the officer Responsible for Develop-

of Atlantic Forest, attract thousands of

ment and Management at Destination Sauípe.

tourists to the region, which contains the

Odebrecht established a presence in the region

largest variety of restinga plant life on the Brazilian

with the construction of the Costa de Sauípe tourism

coast (a restinga is a distinct type of coastal tropical

complex in 1998. Nowadays, the focus is on developing

and subtropical forest found in Brazil). These plants

residential projects at Destination Sauípe, and OR is

grow in the sandy and salty soil typical of the area. The

working on a new master plan for the area. “By 2013,

North Coast is also the nation’s main spawning area

we plan to introduce a new concept of development for

for sea turtles. Within this complex environmental con-

Sauípe, one that is more mature and keeps the focus

text, the village of Sauípe, in Mata de São João county,

on sustainability,” says Franklin.

has the support of environmentally sustainable development projects organized by Odebrecht Realizações

Empowering environmental projects

Imobiliárias (Real Estate Developments; OR).

To support this new phase, the company’s teams will

“When a company comes here to develop a real es-

enhance and intensify their environmental and commu-

tate project, it is imperative that it take special care

nity outreach projects. A partner in this process is the

with the environmental and social aspects of that ven-

Coconut Coast Institute Ecological Corridor (INCECC),

ture. They are often built in remote areas with pris-

which maintains Sauípe Park and the Forest Factory

tine natural environments and communities that have

project. Located on the Green Line (Highway BA-099),

never had any contact with rapid urban development.

across from the beach, the 66-ha park is home to the

To ensure the success of tourism real estate develop-

Archaeology Center, which houses more than 50,000

ments, it is essential to preserve the local community.

artifacts and fragments from 26 sites in the region, and

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bility

Environmental projects in Sauípe, Bahia, combine archaeology, landscaping, income creation and protection for plant and animal life

the Natural History Museum, created in 1997 by Cetrel,

“Sauípe Park is one of our main focuses on the en-

the Camaçari Industrial Complex’s Environmental Engi-

vironmental side. We want to create attractions like

neering company through a partnership with the presti-

ecotourism, sports and adventure-related activities.

gious New York Museum of Natural History. In 2006, the

We will have a calendar of events at the park that

Camaçari Complex transferred the museum to Sauípe

involves the local community in the process,” says

Park. Since then, 10,000 students from public and pri-

Danilo Lima, the officer Responsible for Sustainabil-

vate schools have visited both facilities, which are taking

ity at Destination Sauípe. He points out that one of the

part in one of the region’s environmental education pro-

activities being planned is bird watching, along with

grams. The other program is run by OR and its partners

sports competitions such as stand-up paddling and

in conjunction with the nearby communities.

BMX bicycle racing.

Sauípe Park: native plants form part of the landscape in OR’s real estate development

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catalogue, an initiative that seeks to make up for the dearth of literature on the region’s biodiversity.

The nursery is also growing most of the 1,500 mutambo seedlings whose fruit will be used to extract oil Artisan from the Production School: “Tourists love our work”

to make handmade soap and shampoo. The Tupinamba Indians who once lived in that region were the first to use this oil for personal hygiene purposes. OR intends to reach sufficient scale to enable representatives of the local community, more precisely residents of Vila Sauípe, to supply mutambo products to hotels and homes on the North Coast.

The mutambo project is just one of the ongoing initiatives at the Production School, which OR has donated to the Vila Sauípe Residents’ Association. “We created the Production School to develop a project that reflects the local culture. We support the training of artisans from Vila Sauípe, who make purses, wallets and other objects from piassava palm fiber. Job creation in the region is still strongly linked to extraction, so it is key to establish a suitable management program,” says Franklin Mira.

The artisans sell their products to hotels in the region, and, once a month, they organize a fair on the grounds of the Production School to attract locals and tourists from Mata de São João. The school also offers the community another plant nursery, a computer

Not far from Sauípe Park, Odebrecht has established the Native Plant Nursery, an outgrowth of the Plant Life Rescue program that was set up when the first buildings were constructed in Sauípe. INCECC is now running the nursery through the Forest Factory project, which operates the site through an open-ended lease. As a result of this joint effort, in September 2012 the nursery celebrated the production of 1 million seedlings of native Atlantic Forest plants.

“Generally, when nurseries are set up in cities, they grow exotic plants. Here at Destination Sauípe, we conducted a study of the local ecosystem, and learned a lot. For example we have mangrove saplings that do not reproduce easily,” says Danilo.

OR uses local plants in its landscaping projects for real estate developments at Destination Sauípe, as well as for the Degraded Areas Recovery Program (PRAD) being carried out in that area. The identification of more than 200 types of plants gave rise to a

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Children learn about plants and animals: broadening their knowledge of the region

room, a library, and classrooms for courses that generate income for the Association. “Tourists love our work, and they are even more delighted when they come to buy handicrafts

Native Plant Nursery: 1 million seedlings in September

here at the school and get a first-hand look at what we do here. Many people haven’t been to our village. We need to bring them here,” says Rute Souza, one of the Production School’s artisans. Other community income-generation projects being developed include growing flowers and tropical plants, an artisanal agroindustry that produces fruit preserves and sweets, and beekeeping and honey production from rationally bred stingless bees.

To ensure that all these projects are sustainable, OR is planning the creation of the General Association of Sauípe.

Something like a “Destination City Hall,” it will take care of common areas, security, internal roadways and relations with local communities. Another essential responsibility will be setting construction and environmental standards.

The association will also run the future Ecocentro, a facility planned to begin operations in 2014. It will be an environmental interpretation center that offers lectures and educational programs, prioritizing local history. This facility will be part of the Apraiú Project, planned as a common area for two new OR real estate products under study for that region. These initiatives will ensure that Destination Sauípe continues to be a benchmark for projects carried out in perfect harmony with the best practices of sustainable development.

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Three Odebrecht companies are participating in Aquapolo, a project that is innovating the production of recycled water

50 filters written by Luiz Carlos Ramos photos by Fred Chalub

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of GUMPTION

Aquapolo project member with a sample of reclaimed water: new technological and environmental solutions

T

he Aquapolo Environmental Project has embarked on the testing phase and will start supplying reclaimed water to support the operations of Braskem and (at least) three other companies in the ABC Petrochemical Complex in Mauá, in the São Paulo metro area, that have already confirmed their interest. A few miles from the complex, at the ABC Sewage Treatment Station

(Sabesp), on the border of São Paulo and São Caetano do Sul counties, the treated sewage is converted into an input that is supplied to their plants. This project involves three Odebrecht Group companies (Braskem, Foz do Brasil and Odebrecht Infraestrutura), in a cross-cutting move that underscores the companies’ synergy and is a leap forward for environmental sustainability.

By producing industrial water for use in production processes, the Aquapolo project offers companies a reliable and sustainable alternative to using drinking water, therefore making it available for public consumption.

A pioneer in large-scale industrial water reuse and one of the largest of its kind in the world, the project has given rise to Aquapolo Ambiental, a Special Purpose Company formed by Foz do Brasil, the Odebrecht Group’s environmental solutions company, and Sabesp, a mixed-ownership (state-private) company controlled by São Paulo State. Sabesp CEO Dilma Pena observes that investing in the production of reclaimed water also improves sanitation in general. “By recycling, we are using treated wastewater economically, because treating urban sewage is very expensive and initially requires a large investment in fixed assets. Therefore, water reuse will help universalize sanitation,” she adds. For Paulo Massato, the director of Sabesp’s Metropolitan Region operations, the company’s partnership with Foz do Brasil has opened up yet another prospect. “We can move forward on other large-scale reuse projects in Brazil,” he says.

Interaction between different partners has consolidated a project that is economically, socially and financially viable, and has been firmly established as a replicable business model. This positive visibility has cast the spotlight on partners from several sectors that are involved in the project, such as universities, industries and the press. An example of Aquapolo’s media impact was a special report on the Globo News program’s “Cities and Solutions” segment, in which Aquapolo received high praise from André Trigueiro, a journalist with a long track record in the field of sustainability. Furthermore, the project was among the winners of the Global Water Awards, which recognizes successful water supply and treatment initiatives around the world. The CEO of Foz do Brasil, Fernando SantosReis, accepted the award from former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

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51

Water recycling plant: capable of treating 1,000 liters per second. Opposite, the pipeline that takes the water to the ABC Petrochemical Complex: 17 km long, running through four cities

Cross-cutting operations

most as much as in the driest areas of Northeast Brazil.

Braskem is Aquapolo’s biggest client. And a third Ode-

There is a plentiful supply of fresh water in Brazil as a

brecht company is joining the partnership: Odebrecht

whole – as much as 35,000 cu.m per person/year. How-

Infraestrutura (Infrastructure), which is responsible for

ever, it averages just 2,500 cu.m per person/year in São

building the Industrial Water Production Plant (EPAI), the

Paulo State. In São Paulo City, that figure dwindles to 200

pipeline, and the distribution system within the petro-

cu.m. In the ABC region, the maximum amount is 130

chemical complex.

cu.m/person/year.

The project was built next door to the ABC Sewage

In the early twentieth century, the Guarapiranga res-

Treatment Plant. The sewage Sabesp collects and treats

ervoir managed to supply São Paulo City, which was

there undergoes an additional stage of treatment that

growing at a far lower rate than it is today. However, in

Aquapolo carries out using high-tech ultrafiltration mem-

recent decades, it was necessary to invest in obtaining

branes and reverse osmosis.

water elsewhere and building seven other systems of

The water then travels along a pipeline that is nearly 1

aqueducts, all under the management Sabesp: Canta-

meter in diameter and 17 kilometers long, passing through

reira, which is the largest; Alto Tietê, Alto Cotia, Baixo

three cities, São Paulo, São Caetano and Santo André, until

Cotia, Ribeirão da Estiva, Rio Claro and Rio Grande.

it reaches the petrochemical complex in Mauá. Braskem

All eight complexes produce 67,000 l/s of water, half of

will use the lion’s share of the 650 liters per second of

which comes from reservoirs in the Sierra da Cantar-

industrial water Aquapolo initially produces: 557 l/s. The

eira mountains, fed by small rivers from as far away as

remainder will benefit the operations of the Cabot, Oxicap,

southern Minas Gerais.

Oxiteno and White Martins companies. Aquapolo’s pro-

Named after three cities, Santo André, São Bernardo

duction capacity could reach 1,000 liters per second when

do Campo and São Caetano do Sul, where auto manufac-

more companies interested in consuming industrial water

turers and metalworking and petrochemical plants are

come on board.

based, the ABC region is one of São Paulo’s most developed areas The region also comprises four other munici-

52

Low water supply

palities: Diadema, Mauá, Ribeirão Pires and Rio Grande da

With 39 counties and a total of 21 million inhabitants,

Serra. When fully operational, Aquapolo will make up to

the São Paulo metro area is one of the five most populous

2.58 billion liters of treated water per month available for

regions in the world. This high population density, along

public use, enough to supply a city of 500,000 inhabitants,

with being the largest industrial complex in Latin America,

or the total population of two ABC municipalities - São

makes treated water scarcer and scarcer every year, al-

Caetano do Sul and Diadema.

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How reclaimed industrial water is produced

Asseburg. “After that, the industrial water is disinfected with

Odebrecht Informa has followed every stage of the pro-

tion, where the industrial water is pumped into the pipeline

cess of producing reclaimed water. The CEO of Aquapolo

chlorine dioxide. Then it is sent to the high-load pumping stathat takes it to the petrochemical complex.”

Ambiental is sanitary engineer Marcos Koehler Asseburg, a

Chemical analyst Rodrigo Otavio Santos Dias, 29, a water

native of São Paulo who has been with the Odebrecht Group

and environmental sanitation technician, is a plant operator

for four years. He explains that he was very enthusiastic

at Aquapolo. He opens a tap and takes a sample of clean,

about being recommended to take part in this project. “It is

transparent reclaimed water to test its purity. “This is the fu-

completely innovative. Unfortunately, Brazil has a long way

ture. It is the solution for many cities,” says Rodrigo, who is

to go in the field of sanitation, both in terms of sewage col-

proud to be part of this pioneering initiative.

lection and treatment. But the Aquapolo project is a hopeful

Four storage tanks hold 70,000 cu.m of industrial wa-

sign, because it collects sewage and puts it to a good use,

ter, ensuring a steady supply for Aquapolo’s clients. The

while making a dream come true; and all that with viable

environmental benefits of this project go beyond econo-

financial engineering.”

mizing on drinking water: it is also helping clean up the

Marcos accompanied the magazine’s team to demon-

Tamanduateí River.

strate how secondary water (wastewater that has undergone the secondary stage of treatment) becomes industrial

Overcoming barriers

water. Treated sewage is collected from secondary decant-

Fabiano Munhoz has been Odebrecht Infraestrutura’s

ers at the ABC Sewage Treatment Plant and becomes the

Project Director for Aquapolo since mid-May, replacing Emyr

raw material for processing at Aquapolo Ambiental. After

Costa, who has taken on a new challenge at Foz do Brasil.

treatment, the water flows by gravity to the low-load pump-

“When I was 7 years old, I used to visit projects in Bahia along

ing station, and from there it goes on to the next stage for

with my father, Durvalino Munhoz, who worked at Odebrecht.

preliminary treatment. “That is when the production of re-

Here at Aquapolo, which is nearing completion, I can see that

claimed industrial water begins,” says the engineer. “Disc

the team feels they have accomplished their mission. We

filters remove solid waste particles greater than or equal to

have overcome major engineering challenges to build the

400 microns in size.”

treatment plant and pipeline. It required tremendous care

The water is then sent on for biological treatment, pass-

to ensure the safety of our members and motorists on the

ing through membranes that retain solids and even bacte-

routes where the project was being built. Another highlight

ria. “When industrial water shows high salinity, it undergoes

was people development – grooming the young profession-

reverse osmosis to reduce its conductivity,” explains Marcos

als who started their careers on this venture and have taken

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53

Braskem Unit at the ABC Complex: water to keep industrial production high

on ever-greater challenges over the course of this project.”

nually. Today, the unit is part of Braskem. Now called the

Fabiano also underscores the team members’ awareness of

Basic Petrochemicals Unit (Unib 3 ABC), it can produce up

the project’s immense importance for sustainability. “Without

to 700,000 metric tons of ethylene per year.

a doubt, Aquapolo is a calling card for projects with other cli-

Standing near a complex of buildings, pipes and tanks, en-

ents. Visits from several companies have already made this

gineer Fadlo Haddad points to a green balance tower, a new

clear,” he says.

feature in the landscape: that is where reclaimed water will be

The Engineering Manager for the project, Reynaldo

stored and sent to Braskem’s facilities and other clients at the

Moreira Júnior, is the engineer responsible for assembly and

complex through a 3.6-km pipeline network. Fadlo, who has

automation. He says he joined Odebrecht nearly three years

worked at the complex for 26 years and joined Braskem two

ago to take part in the construction of Aquapolo. “To install the

years ago, stresses the importance of the arrival of Aquapolo

pipeline, we started out with 12 work fronts, offering work op-

water: “For Braskem, this project is essential, because the

portunities to 800 people. As a result, we delivered the project

operation of the complex was under threat when it came to

quickly, including stretches that run alongside the Tamandu-

ethylene production processes. The water the complex used

ateí River and Avenida dos Estados.”

to obtain from the Tamanduateí River is inadequate and insufficient. Now, thanks to reclaimed water, we can even increase

54

Braskem upgrades the complex

production. And it also benefits the environment.” Fadlo Had-

Chemical engineer Fadlo Eduardo Haddad, the

dad observes that, because it is completely clean, reclaimed

Braskem officer Responsible for Process Engineering in

water has great advantages over river water from densely

Mauá and Santo André, leaves his office to visit the huge

populated cities, which is often polluted and can damage the

facilities in Capuava and walks past a large stone that com-

equipment.

memorates the inauguration of what was then called the

The Camaçari Industrial Complex in the northeastern

União (Union) Petrochemical Complex by President Emílio

state of Bahia is also introducing a recycling project using

Médici and Governor Laudo Natel. The inscription shows

rainwater. Based on a recent trial, expectations are that

the year: 1972. It was a leap forward compared to the first

treated and stored rainwater will account for approximately

steps of industrial development in that area, taken in 1954

one-third of the total the plant consumes, which is a plus

when the União Refinery was built. In the course of the

for residents of the Salvador Metropolitan Area. Creativity,

Brazilian petrochemical industry’s 40-year history, the re-

partnerships and alternative investments are giving rise to

finery would change its name several times until Braskem

alternatives that not only increase production but enable en-

took control of Quattor in 2010. Known as PQU, União had

vironmental conservation and improve the quality of life of

the capacity to produce 180,000 metric tons of ethylene an-

present and future generations.

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firefighters

IN THE CANE FIELDS written by Edilson Lima photos by Ricardo Telles

The fire brigades’ work is a highlight of ETH’s safety, prevention and environmental preservation strategy

I

t’s 3 pm in Costa Rica county, Mato Grosso do Sul. The Odebrecht Informa team is tagging

along with ETH Bioenergy Taquari Hub Fire Brigade Leader Renato Bonini and his team members on one of their regular visits to the mechanized sugarcane harvesting work fronts. Renato

gets a warning over the radio: there is a fire breaking out about 20 kilometers away. His team needs to get there quickly. The journalist and photographer follow the firefighters in a 4x4 truck to get a first-hand look at their efforts to put out the constant fires that plague the Brazilian savanna region this time of year.

55

A firefighter and truck positioned at a mechanized harvesting front: extra precautions during droughts

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55

The fire was started by people who live on a farm

The committees are excellent tools for ensuring

rapid response of the fire brigade and truck, the

that everything and everyone is on the same page,

situation was quickly under control, preventing what

from ETH’s São Paulo City headquarters to the cane

could have become a major fire: it was just three

fields in the company’s five hubs. Every two months,

meters from the cane field. “That’s the way it is

the directors of the hubs and their HSE managers

around here: if we aren’t careful, we could have a

meet in São Paulo with Adriano Granjo, the ETH of-

disaster on our hands in minutes,” explains Renato.

ficer Responsible for the program. They spend an

A native of Castilho, São Paulo, Renato Bonini, 47,

entire day exchanging information and experiences.

worked as a professional firefighter in his home state

“We discuss our knowhow and planning here, but

for 15 years. With that experience in his resume, he

the data has to reach the work fronts,” says Adriano,

joined ETH three years ago. Today, he has 42 team

who is based at ETH’s São Paulo headquarters but

members under his command in the Costa Rica Fire

spends most of his time visiting the company’s agro-

Brigade alone. Besides his pick-up truck, he has 13

industrial operations in Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato

fire trucks, an ambulance, and all the safety equip-

Grosso do Sul and São Paulo State.

ment the firefighters require at his disposal.

To make the company’s HSE program more pro-

Every day, Renato visits the four fronts of the har-

active, ETH has implemented an Automatic Tem-

vesting unit, covering an average radius of 27 km.

perature Detection System this harvest season, to-

There are two fire trucks at every work front, each

gether with the original protection system, called a

with its own driver and an assistant. Once an hour,

Fire Extinguisher Kit, in all cane harvesters (a total

they measure what they call the fire cycle: heat, hu-

of 304 units). “While harvesting, the dry cane straw

midity and wind. The limit is 33ºC heat, relative hu-

comes into contact with the hottest parts of the

midity of 20%, and 15 km/h winds. If they see any

harvester, and that can be enough to start a fire,”

change in one of these indicators, they advise the

explains Adriano.

work front leaders to take extra precautions, or even to stop the harvest to prevent any risk of fire.

“Company members undergo safety and prevention training. Furthermore, every day, before he starts his shift, the work front leader carries out a Daily Safety, Health and Environment Dialogue (DDS). That 10-minute conversation is key to getting the job done safely,” says Gilmar Pereira, the unit’s Safety, Health and Environment (HSE) engineer. “A detailed study of the site must be conducted before any activity is carried out in the field,” he adds.

Leandro Melo, the unit’s Agricultural HLT (harvesting, loading and transport) Manager, observes that the unit’s leaders get together every week as a local committee to mull HSE concepts and practices: “It’s an opportunity to share their experiences.”

The Costa Rica Unit and Alto Taquari Unit comprise the Taquari Hub in the state of Mato Grosso.

Altogether, ETH has five production hubs and a total of nine units in four Brazilian states and 15,000 company members.

56

Exchanging information

and were burning household waste. Thanks to the

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The work done to prevent fires in the vicinity of the

A 24-hour safety net

harvesting machines is called Level 1. If the kit and

The period between June and September is the

the operator can’t control the fire with the machine’s

most critical time of year in Brazil’s tropical savan-

extinguisher, the system goes to level 2, bringing in

na region due to weather conditions (dry weather,

the operational front’s firefighting team - a driver

strong winds and high temperatures). Fires break

and his or her assistant, and a specially equipped fire

out all the time. “ETH, businesses and government

truck. If they cannot put out the fire, the system goes

agencies were concerned with this situation, so they

to level 3, and a team specialized in farm firefighting

got together to create the PAME. The aim is to join

is immediately dispatched to the scene.

forces to systemize and strengthen fire prevention

At the same time, the work front leader, who is pre-

and firefighting measures,” says Valmir Viana, the

pared for these emergencies, oversees the evacuation

HSE Manager at the Mato Grosso do Sul Hub, which

of areas where the fire is actively burning, prioritizing

includes the Santa Luzia and Eldorado units.

company members’ safety. When he reaches the front,

“We must never make the mistake of thinking we

the Brigade Leader takes charge of the firefighting op-

are 100% safe. All companies in that region must take

eration until the blaze is completely out. In some cases,

preventive measures and keep a close watch. A fire at

he calls in outside support through the PAME (Emer-

a neighboring farm could spread to the cane fields

gency Mutual Aid Plan), which could come from the Fire

and vice versa. That’s why we decided to deploy the

Department, city governments or local fire brigades.

PAME at all five ETH hubs by identifying local partners. That way, our fire brigades can give and receive support when necessary,” says Adriano Granjo.

Renato Bonini (center) and his team members Donival do Assis (left) and Petrônio Almeida: ongoing dialogue and training

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revamping WORLDWIDE written by Alice Galeffi & Flávia Tavares

I

photos by Dario de Freitas & Dimitrius Beck Silva

n the biting wind of Rio Gallegos, southern Ar-

the Brazilian oil giant is bringing each of these facili-

gentina, Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial Proj-

ties up to its high standards and providing them with

ect Director Marco Duran explains some details

safe conditions for structural integrity, operational

of the work that will be done there. The tem-

control, safety, environment and health management

perature is close to freezing, but the wind chill

and people development. It is also revamping and or-

pushes it well below, down to -12ºC, and the sky is

ganizing preventive programs on all three fronts rep-

overcast. A few days later, he will be experiencing oth-

resented by the HSE acronym. This is where the proj-

er extreme: the scorching heat (over 42ºC) of Pasade-

ect that Petrobras designed and Duran is now running

na, Texas, in the USA. This is an occupational hazard

comes in. “We are active in all areas of work involved

for someone who is responsible for one of Odebrecht’s

in the oil supply chain, except geology,” he explains.

most internationalized projects, the PAC SMS (the

This means that his team, which now consists of 1,041

Portuguese acronym for Action Program for Certifica-

people, including Group members and contractors,

tion in Safety, Health and Environment).

assesses the state of Petrobras assets from drilling

Signed in October 2010 after a tender involving domestic and foreign firms, the contract is for services provided to Petrobras’s Interna-

duction, transportation, storage and refining. And they do it in no less

tional Business Area (ANI). After acquir-

than 11 countries: Brazil (where

ing assets in several parts of the world,

the project’s headquarters are

58 58

to final distribution at gas stations, including pro-

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On the PAC SMS project, Odebrecht teams are adapting Petrobras assets in 11 countries based) and operations in the United States, Argentina,

In Argentina, the location of most of the projects

Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador,

included in the contract – signed for three years and

Peru and Japan.

renewable for three more – Odebrecht’s work includes

No wonder that most large companies use the

revamping, construction and installation, diagnosis

acronym HSE for these programs. In many ways, all

and environmental excellence, and studies, diag-

three areas are inextricably linked, and measures

nostics and surveys in the areas of Safety, Environ-

taken in one area impact the others. It is no differ-

ment and Health, and the acquisition of contingency

ent in the oil industry. Preventing a leak on offshore

and firefighting services and equipment related to

platforms or in the tanks of a gas station is not just

the Petrobras Action Plan for ANI HSE Certification.

an environmental issue but a safety and public health

In Paraguay, the team’s work is focused on adapting

issue as well. “The first major wave of global concern

gas stations to comply with the most advanced local,

was safety, which led to the creation of international

international regulations, and Petrobras’s own stan-

standards to prevent accidents. Now we are focusing

dards. “Here in Patagonia, for example, the ecosystem

our efforts on the environment, through leakage pre-

is very fragile. Any change made in the environment is

vention and reduction of CO2 emissions, for example,”

almost permanent. For that reason, every precaution

explains Julián Socolovsky, the Odebrecht officer Re-

is necessary,” says Marco Duran.

sponsible for QSEH (Quality, Safety, Environment and Health) for this project.

In fact, both Neuquén and Rio Gallegos, two of the locations where HSE projects are being carried out,

The PRSI refinery in Pasadena, Texas, is over 100 years old: revamped to meet high operational quality standards

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59

are characterized by a natural environment that is both rough and fragile. Production wells and oil fields are surrounded by miles of pale brown terrain covered with low-growing vegetation that is a habitat for wildlife. The tanks that store the oil, which can hold up to 30,000 cu.m, require sophisticated repairs, and when they cannot be refurbished, they are replaced with new ones. The professionals responsible for providing services on the 276 projects included in the contract (36 of which have been completed) are highly skilled, and the HSE procedures Odebrecht and Petrobras have jointly established meet the highest standards. “Every country has its own laws, but the PAC SMS goes beyond what the law requires, following standard procedures for Petrobras,” says Julián Socolovsky. This is why the

Worker at Petrobras’s facilities in Rio Gallegos, Argentina: the environment is both rough and fragile

project has been divided into four interdependent sections that interact with each other (see box).

A compilation of all the necessary procedures

PRSI is located on the banks of the historic Ship

for each project can reach more than 50 pages, ac-

Channel, the scene of the decisive battle of the Tex-

cording to Socolovsky. It’s a job that requires detailed

an Revolution in 1838, in which Texans and Mexicans

planning, which involves analyzing the risks and how

fought for possession of that territory. Almost two

to avoid them and setting out the entire task, step by

centuries later, a different kind of struggle is under-

step. It takes patience and expertise. “It’s true that

way: instead of guns, it involves hard work. Because

you get antsy when you have to wait for all that to be

it is an old and highly productive refinery (100,000

done before you can get started, but it is a necessary

barrels of oil refined per day), the work is steady and

process,” says Diego Barindelli, 28, a civil engineer

requires detailed follow up of planning, because one

and one of the 21 Young Partners working on the

project involves another due to the requirements en-

PAC SMS project. “The best thing is that I’ve been

countered along the way. “Our mission is to provide

here from the start, since the design of the contract,

the most advanced technological innovations to en-

and have followed the whole process. It’s an amaz-

sure operational safety,” explains Duran. There are 29

ing learning experience. I never dreamed that I’d be

projects underway at PRSI.

involved in a project with this level of environmental concern,” he adds.

Over 100 years old

60

These projects are varied and range from simple tasks, such as installing handrails and safety showers, to the replacement of old storage tanks, oil spill control for those tanks, regulating emissions of pol-

In Pasadena, Texas, the challenge is to revamp the

luting gases, and the installation of a gas cleaning

PRSI (Pasadena Refining System Inc.) refinery, found-

system for the plant’s units. The PAC SMS team will

ed over 100 years ago in 1902, to meet Petrobras’s high

install a new fire prevention system, upgrade the ex-

HSE quality standards. “We don’t just want to comply

isting system and build a new water storage tank.

with the law. Above all, we want to be environmen-

Trained professionals will be on hand to take action

tally friendly,” says Marco Duran, now in the intense

in any emergency. “These projects are critical for en-

Texas heat, a few hours after landing in Houston. PAI

suring that our client achieves their goal of ensuring

(Petrobras America Inc.) acquired PRSI as part of the

excellence in environmental management and opera-

Brazilian oil company’s international expansion plan.

tional safety,” says Duran.

In December 2010, the PAC SMS project got started at

One important feature of the environmental pro-

the refinery - Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial’s first

tection facilities is the Wet Gas Scrubber, which

contract in the United States.

cleans the gases the refinery produces before they

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it’s the flag of Texas. I realized that I had to acculturate and adapt to some of their habits to better interact with local partners. In Texas, driving a pick-up truck and wearing cowboy boots is very natural. I’ve come to understand and appreciate these customs. The day I showed up at the office wearing boots, everyone came over and congratulated me because I’m adapting to the Texan way of life,” says Daniel.

The PAC SMS and its work fronts The PAC SMS project is divided into four sections: INTEGRITY OF FACILITIES – projects involving construction and industrial assembly services required to bring industrial facilities and off-site equipment, proare released into the atmosphere. The engineer responsible for this project, Charles Waligura, is a Tex-

cessing units and other physical facilities back to “optimum” physical and operational conditions.

an who is passionate about Pasadena and has worked

HSE LIABILITIES – services needed for diagnos-

at nearby refineries for over 30 years. He says this

tics and environmental protection, with a view to im-

project is extremely important because it is making a

plementing environmental excellence programs that

significant contribution to achieving Petrobras’s goals

prevent possible environmental impacts caused by

within the sphere of its sustainability program.

oil, and enable the disposal of hazardous waste stored

To explain the concept of the system, contaminated

in Petrobras’s ANI assets.

gases enter through a pipe in a cleaning machine, where spray curtains of water and ozone break down

HSE MANAGEMENT – services required for con-

gas particles and release them back into the atmo-

ducting local HSE studies. These studies are prereq-

sphere 95% clean. The toxic particles are sent to an-

uisites, for example, for maintaining environmental

other compartment and taken to a treatment plant.

permits for operations, for the adaptation of each

PRSI’s Wet Gas Scrubber is currently being manufac-

company’s HSE Management System to Petrobras’s

tured and will be installed by early 2013.

Corporate HSE System Guidelines, and to establish

The Odebrecht Group has been present in the United

emergency response plans, crisis communication

States for 22 years and is active in the states of Florida,

plans and quantitative risk analyses. So far, in 2012

Louisiana and Texas. The Odebrecht Engenharia Indus-

alone, 4,820 hours have been dedicated to HSE man-

trial team in Pasadena has 60 members, most of whom

agement training. During the 832,313 hours worked

are local people. Only three are Brazilian expats. One is

on Odebrecht’s PAC SMS projects, the lost-time ac-

Daniel Alegria, the officer Responsible for the operation

cident rate has been zero.

in that country. “Putting a refinery within HSE quality standards is not a new challenge for Odebrecht. Our

CONTINGENCY – the services and equipment

biggest challenge is cultural, because the US market

necessary to enable ANI companies to respond to

and, especially, the Texan market, are unique in many

emergencies and fight fires, in compliance with the

ways,” he says. Both Marco Duran and Daniel are fa-

Petrobras HSE System Standard. The equipment

miliarizing themselves with this culturally distinct en-

must be used in so-called Significant Accident Situ-

vironment. The work is going better all the time. “Tex-

ations such as oil spills and fires at ANI facilities and

ans are very proud of their state. The biggest-selling

assets.

flag in the United States isn’t the Stars and Stripes,

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61

Clean Lagoon Program participant Philipe Fernando da Silva: learning to row and preserve nature. Below, Rota das Bandeiras: restoring degraded areas alongside the highway

62 texto Luiz Carlos Ramos fotos Fred Chalub

62

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aw

breeds commitment

Road concession companies carry out programs related to several aspects of the work of environmental preservation

areness

commitment written by Ricardo Sangiovanni

photos by Lia Lubambo

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63

E

ach in their own way, Odebrecht TransPort’s highway concessionaires - Rota das Bandeiras in São Paulo State, Bahia Norte in Bahia, and Rota dos Coqueiros in Pernambuco - have made significant progress

in their efforts to establish a relationship of respect and care for the environment.

The path chosen by the concessionaire in Pernambuco, which operates the coastal route that runs through Reserva do Paiva and links the city of Recife with the southern coast of the state, is paved with training courses and programs in the field that have helped raise environmental awareness among youths, adults and the elderly.

The concession company in Bahia has also taken the path of investment in grooming community environmental agents who are engaging in collaborative reforestation efforts spearheaded by the concessionaire, which manages the highway system that connects Salvador, the port of Aratu, the Camaçari Industrial Complex and seven other municipalities.

Planting seedlings in degraded environments and in the vicinity of springs in partnership with the government and private sector is also the driving force behind the sustainability programs of the São Paulo concession

Businesswoman Maria Aparecida Junqueira Marche on her farm: “Reforesting on my own would have been very costly”

company. It manages the Dom Pedro I corridor, a route that runs through Campinas and 16 more cities in São

basics about the importance of water and mangroves

Paulo State, a strategic region that has recently become

(vital habitats for the reproduction of fish and other local

the country’s largest consumer market.

wildlife).

“We learn to take care of what is ours. If we don’t, who

“If we don’t take care of it, who will?”

will?” reflects Philipe Fernando da Silva, a 17-year-old stu-

The concession for the Paiva road system, which in-

dent. While taking part in the program for the past year,

cludes the 6.2-km Via Parque route, as well as the cable-

between oar strokes he has seen all kinds of things float

stayed Barra da Jangada bridge, calls for Rota dos Co-

down the river - bottles, plastic bags, cans, shoes, clothes,

queiros to develop and implement social/environmental

sofas... “Even the oil filter of a car,” cries one of Philipe’s

initiatives in two of the municipalities the route traverses

classmates. “Look, right here!” another adds, picking it up

- Jaboatão dos Guararapes and Cabo de Santo Agostinho.

with his fingertips, so there is no question about it.

Since June 2011, the concessionaire has sponsored

The young participants receive guidelines on how to col-

the Clean Lagoon program, which offers rowing and ca-

lect the waste found in the bed and on the banks of the river,

noeing lessons along with environmental education to

using protective gloves and plastic bags. According to the

200 youths between the ages of 12 and 16, from seven

program’s coordinators, the average amount of trash re-

public schools in the region. Classes are held at the estu-

moved daily is impressive, ranging between 20 kg and 40 kg.

ary of the Jaboatão and Pirapama rivers.

64

Indignant at her neighbors’ lack of environmental

The sports the Clean Lagoon Program offers serve

awareness, Sandrine Barbosa, 16, says the classes have

as an attraction for young people, who not only learn

given her the courage to approach people when she sees

to row but take classes in how to preserve the environ-

them disposing of rubbish incorrectly. “Bottles, card-

ment. Those lessons cover topics like collecting trash

board...folks just dump them anywhere. I go over and talk

dumped in the river, planting seedlings and learning the

to them, but sometimes they don’t listen,” she says.

informa

The courage to educate

school where we have a suitable collection system,” says

Losing their fear of approaching people and educat-

Wellitânia dos Santos, a 35-year-old homemaker who is

ing them when they are polluting the environment is the

also taking the course.

challenge facing the 17 community environmental agents

Wellitânia has lived in Itapuama all her life, and she

in the first class taking the Route of Life course, a project

must have seen people dumping oil on the beach before.

created by the concessionaire’s environmental coordina-

“It’s just that, after taking this course, we’ve started see-

tor, Flávia Queiroz, in partnership with artist Diniz Cam-

ing how harmful things like that can be,” says one of her

pos, a sustainability consultant for Reserva do Paiva.

classmates, the craftsman, Francisco Antonio Almeida,

Since February, Flávia and Diniz have taught weekly

46. He and some students from the group are also taking

classes on the environment to residents of Itapuama, a

part in another project, Roles of Life, run by Diniz, who

town that is next to the southern end of the route. The les-

teaches his students to make handicrafts from recyclable

sons range from recycling to selective collection, seed-

materials and manufacture hats and handbags by recy-

ling planting and methods for approaching people edu-

cling construction uniforms.

cationally. Initially intended to end in June, the course has

The class really got to work during environment week

been so successful that it was extended by two months,

in June: in five days, they planted 30 trees on the medians

and there are already plans for a second class, at the stu-

along the highway, and alerted beachgoers and drivers

dents’ request.

at the toll plazas about the need to take care of Nature.

The results are already starting to show. “The other

They also distributed biodegradable bags and handed out

day, I saw the owner of a beach shack pouring the oil she’d

10,000 leaflets, each worth one native plant seedling. “All

used to fry fish onto the sand. I called her aside, so as not

it takes is for a resident to master the subject of the envi-

to embarrass her, and explained that the right thing to

ronment to feel ‘empowered’ and become a multiplier of

do is store that oil in a bottle and then bring it here to the

environmental awareness,” says Diniz.

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65

Living to plant Álvaro Oyama: a long-held dream comes true

Environment week was also a busy time in Bahia.

The Bahia Norte concessionaire held a seminar on environmental awareness, recycling and trash collection for residents of the Cassange neighborhood on the outskirts of Salvador, next to the Aratu Industrial Complex-Airport highway (route BA-526).

At the end of last year, the concessionaire held another seminar on methods for planting seedlings for students at the Federal Institute of Bahia (IFBA) and residents of the Pitanguinha neighborhood in Camaçari, in an area that is also near the highway.

After taking the seminar, many of the participants joined the group of about 80 volunteers who worked with the Coconut Coast Ecological Corridor Institute (INCECC), an NGO hired by Bahia Norte to plant 5,000 native seedlings in the 3-ha area of Atlantic Forest where the institute is located.

The replanting campaign was just the first part of the concessionaire’s reforestation program to offset the clearing of some areas because of the work being done to widen roads and build toll plazas along 123.5 km of highways. As the concession holder, Bahia Norte is also responsible for monitoring the water quality of the Ipitanga and Joanes rivers, as well as inheriting about 40 environmental liabilities along the highway’s right of way that are being resolved as the road-widening works advance.

“Every project causes some kind of impact, but we have been taking good care of the environment since the very start of this project,” explains Bahia Norte Environment Coordinator Ciro Barbosa. The works on State Highways BA-535 and BA-093 also involve reforesting 30 hectares. Some of the seedling planting will be done on the roadsides to form a green corridor in the future.

“I’ve always dreamed of planting trees for a living.

Now, I can say I’m doing just that,” says Álvaro Oyama, President of INCECC, which is made up of 16 professionals, including biologists, agronomists, forestry engineeers and veterinarians. Álvaro Oyama is an attorney specialized in Environmental Law. One of the people who took the NGO’s seminar on seedling planting, André Luís dos Santos, 32, has worked at the IFBA as a gardener for four years and had never had any formal instruction on planting methods before. “I’ve learned that you can’t just plant things any

66

informa

Gardener André Luís dos Santos: “I’ve learned to do my job better”

old way: you’ve got to press down the earth to squeeze

and has now been planted with 1,550 seedlings) to con-

out the air, and dig around the stem to hold in the water.

tacting public managers and farm owners one by one in

I’ve learned to do my job better,” says André, who lives in

the 17 municipalities the road network runs through, in

the neighborhood.

search of new land to plant.

One such area is located on the campus of the

Looking for available areas

Campinas Agronomic Institute (IAC), which authorized

Even after planting about 72,000 seedlings in three

the concession company to plant 7.2 hectares with

years, the Rota das Bandeiras concession company is

12,000 seedlings. Another is on a farm owned by busi-

looking for more available areas in the densely popu-

nesswoman Maria Aparecida Junqueira Marche. “For

lated interior of São Paulo State. After all, the goal is to

me, it was wonderful. Reforesting on my own would

reach 300,000 seedlings planted.

have been very expensive,” she says. Planting and

The reason these areas are hard to find is that, by law,

maintenance of each seedling for two years costs an

seedlings cannot be planted in just any kind of terrain:

average of BRL 30 (about USD 15). However, Rota das

the reforested areas must be contiguous with existing

Bandeiras was only able to plant 14,500 seedlings on

forests or located around springs - called Permanent

Maria Aparecida’s land because the project started in

Protection Areas (APPs). São Paulo’s environmental

2010 – prior to the new Forest Code, which prohibits

laws are strict: depending on the developmental stage

businesses from partnering with private individuals

of the trees felled to build a project, the reforested area

to reforest land, making life more difficult for farmers

might have to be two or even three times the size of the

and businesses while slowing down the pace of refor-

area cleared. When native trees are removed in isolated

estation, which harms the environment.

areas, the law requires replanting 25 new ones.

Mauro Pereira Junior, the concession company’s

The alternatives range from restoring and reforest-

environment manager, observes: “Thinking about the

ing degraded areas along the highway (one example is

environment means taking care of today better than yes-

a 1-hectare area alongside a stretch of Pedro I Highway

terday, while thinking about tomorrow. Much remains to

that was formerly used as a dump site for construction

be done.”

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67

COMMUNITY

THE IDEA IS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Held at the Odebrecht Building in Bahia, the Environmental Education Program shows that major changes on this planet can start with simple measures

written by André Frutuôso photos by Beg Figueiredo

S

elective trash collection, wa-

Bahia, and Odebrecht Realizações

ed by three partner universities: Área

ter rationing and conserva-

Imobiliárias (Real Estate Develop-

1, Ruy Barbosa and Unifacs. Created

tion of green areas are key

ments; OR), seeks to “plant” habits

in 2004, the program receives visits

initiatives for realizing the dream of a

and practices in the minds of children

from 8,000 students per year. Col-

sustainable future. It is with this per-

and young people, Group members

lege students studying Environmental

spective - of turning small habits into

and service providers to ensure that

Engineering, Biology, Management

major contributions – that the Envi-

everyone’s relationship with Nature

and Public Relations are working on

ronmental Education Program (PEA),

becomes eco-friendly.

the project as interns with their pro-

supported by the Odebrecht Build-

The PEA is held at the Odebrecht

fessors’ guidance, and applying the

ing Administration Office in Salvador,

Building in Salvador, and spearhead-

knowledge they have assimilated in

Students from General Dionísio Teixeira School take part in a PEA activity: assimilating sustainable habits and practices

68

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68

Interns responsible for educational activities at the PEA: from left, Fernando Pires, Natália Naomi, Allana Gomes, Leonardo Barros, Paula Santos and Elínia Oliveira

the classroom. The interns run all the

Classified as a Green Building,

times we had to cancel classes

program’s activities while studying

Odebrecht’s headquarters in Sal-

because there was a foul stench

the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Tech-

vador was the first in the North/

coming in from the road in front of

nology (TEO) on a regular basis.

Northeast of Brazil to be certified as

the school,” recalls Cândida Tai-

Paulo Guimarães, from Odebrecht,

a Sustainable Building. It serves as a

ara, who teaches at Paulo VI Parish

is the institutional leader of the PEA.

practical example that enables En-

Municipal School in Salvador’s Pau

He observes that, based on TEO, the

gineering and Architecture students

Miúdo community. According to the

interns can absorb a work method

to see that it is possible to invest in

schoolteacher, the PEA has helped

focused on valuing people. “They are

alternatives that enhance social and

residents understand the need for

not only acquiring a professional edu-

economic development, in line with

selective trash collection, and they

cation by means of Education through

environmental conservation.

are now aware that the sidewalk

Work but are being groomed to work as a team and foster and value life.”

The Communicate sub-program updates the website and provides in-

is not the appropriate place to dispose of garbage.

The PEA is divided into five sub-

formation to visiting schools. Proger

Another highlight of the PEA

programs: Eco-Trail, Prosper, Com-

seeks to sensitize everyone who

is that it gives interns an oppor-

municate, Proger and Green Building.

works at the office about the im-

tunity to become members of the

Leonardo Luz, the leader of the team

portance of the proper disposal and

Odebrecht Group. This was the

of interns, took on the challenge of

recycling of solid waste. Prospera

case with Ulysses Santos, who is

learning about the more than 50 spe-

focuses on grooming environmen-

now working at OR as a member

cies of plants on the Eco-Trail, a frag-

tal multipliers who, after visiting the

of the company’s Sustainability

ment of Atlantic Forest covering an

Eco-Trail, receive guidelines on how

team. “We come here as diamonds

approximately 40,000 sq.m area that

to develop environmental initiatives

in the rough, and we are polished

contains six thematic stations: Water,

in their communities.

through the PEA, learning to turn

Wildlife, Waste, Bees, Composting and Plant Life.

“Previously, we didn’t have anywhere to park our cars, and some-

difficulties into opportunities,” he observes.

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69

70 Geobags: an alternative that benefits the environment and the bottom line

defense LINE OF

A decontamination system based on the use of geobags is a highlight of the Embraport Terminal project written by Elea Almeida

70

informa

photos by JĂşlio Bitencourt

informa

71

L

ocated on the left bank of the Port of

calculations. The solution to this logistical impasse also

Santos, São Paulo, Embraport is an Ode-

proved to be more eco-friendly: implementing a decon-

brecht TransPort venture, in partnership

tamination and containment system for the dredged

with DP World and Coimex, that includes

materials using the geobags technology - large cylin-

the construction and operation of a mul-

drical bags made of geosynthetic fabric, with a storage

tipurpose port terminal. When completed, it will have

“This is an environmentally appropriate solution

2 million TEUs (a unit equivalent to one 20-foot con-

because it removes contaminated material from the

tainer) and 2 billion liters of bulk liquid products.

estuary and contains it safely in an area where it can

Thanks to the construction methods used and the additional capacity the port terminal will provide to the

72

capacity of 2,300 cu.m. per unit.

a total area of 850,000 sq.m and the capacity to handle

be used in the final stage of the project,” explains Production Manager Giorgio Bullaty Neto.

Port of Santos, Embraport has been included in The

The system involves the flocculation treatment

100 Most Innovative and Inspiring Urban Infrastructure

and containment of solid waste in 169 geobags. The

Projects in the World, a publication produced by the

dredged material is mixed with a polymer that con-

KPMG consulting firm and launched in July of this year

solidates it and prevents it from seeping out through

at the Cities Summit in Singapore.

the pores in the bags. The water is drained out and

One of the features that sets this project apart is the

pumped to a treatment station, where it undergoes a

use of sustainable building solutions, such as geobags.

process of aeration and pH balancing before being re-

Odebrecht Infraestrutura (Infrastructure), the contrac-

turned to the estuary.

tor responsible for building the terminal, adopted this

After receiving appropriate treatment, the water is

technology while dredging 580,000 cu.m of contaminat-

returned to the sea, and the contaminated material is

ed solid materials from the sea access channel located

stored at the terminal’s cargo yard in the form of solid

in front of the terminal - a liability that had been present

waste. “We have demonstrated that we can carry out a

in that area since the middle of the last century.

project of this magnitude with a minimal impact on the

At first, the plans for the project called for pumping

environment. Not only that, but we have improved the

the dredged materials to another site for drying, but the

situation in the surrounding area by implementing this

frequent rainfall in the region put paid to that idea. The

project,” says Giorgio Bullaty.

conventional solution would have been to transport the

The filled geobags occupy a 170,000 sq.m area, and

material to a landfill, which would have required approx-

will be used as the basis for reclaiming land to build a

imately 70,000 truck trips, according to the contractor’s

container yard. Without the containment system, the

informa

In addition to treating sewage, the STPs built at the jobsite are intended to reduce the amount of treated water used for other purposes. For example, treated wastewater can be used to flush toilets. All told, the three treatment stations process around 250,000 liters per month. To remove excess impurities, Odebrecht has created “WetLands” that provide additional treatment by filtering wastewater through rocks in a tank where plants absorb excess nitrogen and phosphorus.

After that stage, the treated effluent is disposed of in a body of water.

The three SWTPs have a total treatment capacity of Giorgio Bullaty Neto: Brazil needs to create and develop eco-friendly infrastructure

300,000 liters of storm water. Gravity takes the water to storage tanks before it is sent to the plants. After treatment, it is stored in elevated tanks and used in activities such as washing floors and cars, as well as wetting down roads.

same amount of earth would have had to be removed from deposits and transported to the site.

A color-coded system is used in pipelines and storage tanks, identifying recycled water from the STPs,

Giorgio Bullaty stresses that this is the first time

storm water from the SWTPs, and drinking water with

geobags have been used on a project like this. He be-

different colors. Also, the recycled water is dyed blue

lieves that it will serve as an example for other jobsites.

in the tanks to identify its source. To ensure the quality

“This system makes it possible to build major projects

of the process, frequent reports are issued on the ap-

without directly impacting the environment at a time

proximately 550,000 liters processed every month.

when Brazil needs to create and develop infrastructure facilities,” he argues.

Using less treated water

The initiative has also received outside recognition.

In August, the terminal construction site garnered an award from the American Chamber of Commerce in Rio de Janeiro at the 8th Environmental Brazil Prize.

In addition to a treatment plant for the water drained

Odebrecht won in the “Rational Use of Water Resourc-

from the large geobags, the Embraport project also

es” category for a paper titled “Sustainable Jobsite:

has three STPs (sewage treatment plants) and three

Applying Environmental Education in Construction

SWTPs (storm water treatment plants) at its disposal.

Projects.”

Due to the location of the port terminal, bringing in treated drinking water was a complex task.

The innovative and environmentally responsible solutions adopted on the terminal project have contrib-

Reynaldo Pincette Filho, the Administrative-Finan-

uted to the smooth progress of the work. By December

cial Manager for the project, says that one of the first

2012, Odebrecht expects to deliver the following stages

options studied was digging artesian wells, but the

within the scope of the contract for the first phase of

idea had to be dropped when they only found salt water.

the project: 350 m of the quay, a 50,000-sq.m yard for

Therefore, the short-term solution was bringing water

general cargo storage, an overpass and the admin-

in on barges. The suggestion to implement a treatment

istrative area for the terminal. The first phase will be

system to recycle water and utilize storm water was

completed by October 2013, totaling 650 m of the quay

well received, especially because it afforded an oppor-

and a 207,000-sq.m operational yard, with installed ca-

tunity to sensitize company members about the use of

pacity for handling 1.2 TEUs per year and 2 billion liters

natural resources. “The entire program was created to

of bulk liquid products. The start date for the second

cut down on the amount of treated water used, while

phase has not been set. It will include the extension

doing our duty in regard to educating our members,”

of the quay to 1,100 m, and the expansion of the cargo

says Pincette.

yard to 342,000 sq.m.

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73

savvy

UNDERSTANDING WHAT MATTERS: PEOPLE “What gives me the most satisfaction is seeing people who have worked with me grow, and take on more responsibilities” statement given to Válber Carvalho edited by Alice Galeffi photo by Holanda Cavalcanti

B

ased on strict discipline and

write. My father, an only child, got

ity of the people who were at the

dedication, Antônio Carlos

into Medical School. My mother is

head of such a large company.

Daiha Blando’s career be-

the daughter of Syrian-Lebanese

gan at the Military Institute of En-

immigrants. I had a very strict up-

First flight

gineering (IME). In 1985, he joined

bringing, and got used to reading

A friend of my father introduced

Odebrecht, where he found an

and studying.

environment that surprised him.

“What impressed me most was the simplicity, humility and accessibility of the people at the head of an organization as large as Odebrecht.”

Now the CEO for Engineering and Construction at Odebrecht Energia (Energy), in this interview for the Savvy Project, Daiha relates how his upbringing, the discipline of military school and years of expe-

then the Odebrecht CEO for Brazil.

“I’ve done a lot of observing, and I’ve learned that everything we do is through people. They are the beginning, middle and end of all things”

rience at Odebrecht have given him the tools to grow and enhance the art of being what he describes as

me to Renato Baiardi, who was My first job for the company was a mine project in Minas Gerais. I was a hick. I had never flown on a commercial airliner before. The first flight I took was from Rio to Belo Horizonte to start working at Odebrecht. I spent six months on that project, where I met Paulo Sá, a great teacher, and began to understand the company. I realized the crucial role of Project Directors.

Daiha Blando

That became my dream: working as a Project Director.

an “educational leader-achiever.”

74

The following are excerpts from

I managed to pass the entrance

his interview. You can watch the

exams for the IME, where we un-

Educational leader-achiever

entire video on the Odebrecht In-

derwent rigorous trials, working

In Recife, I worked with Ariel

forma website (www.odebrechton-

hard with strict supervision, and I

Parente Costa, the person who had

line.com.br)

served in the military at the same

the greatest influence on my edu-

time. After I graduated, I stayed in

cation. Ariel invested a good part

Family, studies and finding Odebrecht

the Army and was sent to Recife to

of his time in getting to know his

take a course. While there, I had

team members, how they lived,

My father is the son of an Italian

the opportunity to get to know the

what their expectations were, what

immigrant who came to Brazil after

Odebrecht team building the Re-

they expected from life and the or-

World War I and lived and worked

cife Metro. Right then, I realized I

ganization. Based on that knowl-

here as a shoeshine boy and lottery

wanted to work for this company.

edge, he tried to help them. He was

ticket seller. My grandmother was

What impressed me most was the

a true educational leader-achiever.

a laundress who couldn’t read or

simplicity, humility and accessibil-

He got people to do what he ex-

informa

pected of them without having to ask.

They did it out of admiration, affection; out of respect, or for whatever reason. I then realized that a leader is someone who has followers.

“I’m not giving you a project, I’m giving you a client” When I arrived in Venezuela to work on the construction of the Caracas Metro, Euzenando Azevedo, Odebrecht’s CEO in that country, told me something that was perhaps my most important lesson in the 11 years I spent there: “Daiha, I’m not giving you a project, I’m giving you a client.

Don’t just think about your project; take good care of your client. The project is for a 6-km [metro] line, but your client has 100 km more to build.”

And so I did my best to get to know my client well. I visited him almost every day, and established a strong relationship with him, so whenever

Antônio Carlos Daiha Blando: the talent and motivation to learn and teach

he had a project, when anything came up, he’d give us a call.

Legacy My entire life with the Group has been based on people. I’ve done a lot of observing, and I’ve learned that everything we do is through people.

They are the beginning, middle and end of all things. I’ve learned from my leaders and my team members.

What gives me the most satisfaction is seeing the people who’ve worked with me grow, take on more responsibilities and become Project Directors and even CEOs.

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75

measure of

protection written by Milton Gérson

T

76

photos by Ricardo Chaves

hanks to the extension of North Line

er for Trensurb, the client for this project, which includes

1, Trensurb, the commuter train sys-

the implementation of 16 environmental programs.

tem that serves Greater Porto Alegre

Odebrecht Infraestrutura Project Director Nilton

in the southern Brazilian state of Rio

Coelho highlights one of the innovations: building sub-

Grande do Sul, will be reaching Novo

way and road bridges across the Sinos River without any

Hamburgo, a traditional hub of the nation’s leather-

piers, which eliminated the need to dam the waterway.

footwear industry, by the end of 2012. All told, the

“We recycled the water in the manufacturing process for

project will add five new stations and over 9.3 km

concrete pieces and used metal formwork, generating

of tracks, but a major highlight is the environmen-

a savings of 4,600 cu.m of wood and the preservation of

tally sustainable programs involving communities

approximately 17,000 trees.”

76

affected by the works that Via Nova, a joint venture

The main programs directly related to the communi-

led by Odebrecht Infraestrutura (Infrastructure), is

ties are tree replacement and the sustainable resettle-

carrying out in that region.

ment of 214 families who used to live in Vila dos Tocos, a

“Speaking about the environment means speaking

slum in São Leopoldo (a town that Trensurb had already

about the preservation of life,” argues Dirceu Nunes Fer-

reached in a previous stage of the project, neighboring

nandes, the Workplace Safety and Environment manag-

on Novo Hamburgo in the metropolitan region of the

informa

On the Trensurb works in Greater Porto Alegre, the sustainable resettlement of families eliminates social and environmental risks

state capital of Rio Grande do Sul), where Rio dos Sinos Station is now fully operational.

“The joint venture built housing in the Brás III and Padre Orestes subdivisions in the vicinity of the station, and that has changed these families’ lives. Until recently they had lived in a situation of complete social and environmental vulnerability,” says Edson Carlos Ferreira dos Santos, the President of Trensurb’s Special Coordinator for Strategic Projects and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Community leader Pedro Nunes has moved into a 45-sq.m home after living in a shack for the last 40 years, and expanded his bicycle

Trensurb train in São Leopoldo: residents who lived in rickety shacks have moved to safe locations

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77

Edson Carlos Ferreira dos Santos: a leading role in the process of relocating families

workshop. He is clearly in a mood to celebrate: “Busi-

burgo. “The community is already benefiting because

ness has improved 300%.”

these works have reduced flooding during the rainy sea-

No families were resettled in Novo Hamburgo. “There

son,” she observes.

weren’t any slums on the bed of the railway,” says José

Mirella also explains that, since the inception of the

Luis Campos de Souza, the joint venture’s officer Re-

contract in 2009, the work fronts have generated 61.6

sponsible for Workplace Safety and Environment. “The

metric tons of recyclable waste, which is stored in bins

priority was transferring 52 protected trees like the Bra-

and dumpsters according to the type of trash in question

zilian coral and fig trees and jerivá and pindo palms, in

(plastic, metal, paper, glass and batteries) and taken to a

addition to compensatory planting of 12,600 seedlings,

facility at the main jobsite that ensures they are disposed

mostly along city sidewalks.”

of properly. “The entire process is overseen by representatives of the departments of the environment of both cit-

Wastewater treatment

78

ies,” she stresses.

Bourscheid Engenharia e Meio Ambiente S.A., a

Darci Zanini, the Secretary of the Environment of São

partner company, has followed up on the project’s en-

Leopoldo, points out the “social and environmental mag-

vironmental management since the permits were is-

nitude” of the work being done. He also observes that it

sued. The measures taken to control, prevent and re-

is solving the region’s mobility problems with a transpor-

duce environmental impacts include the deployment of

tation system that is among the most advanced in the

a wastewater treatment system at the concrete factory.

world in terms of sustainability.

“The water used to wash concrete mixer trucks is recy-

Karina Romariz Batista, the Novo Hamburgo Depart-

cled to fabricate new concrete pieces, and is also used

ment of the Environment’s Environmental Protection Di-

in the restrooms, to flush the toilets,” says agronomist

rector, stresses the construction of Praça Novo Nações,

Mirella Dias Machado, Bourscheid’s representative on

a park that opened in 2010. In addition to offering recre-

the project.

ational and sports facilities, it is home to 14 jerivá palms,

She also emphasizes the monitoring, drainage and

a pindo palm and a fig tree transplanted there from the

channeling of natural waterways on the route of the ex-

construction site. “Follow-up and monitoring allow us to

tension works, such as the Sinos River and two creeks,

give the community answers to the questions that arise

Gauchinho in São Leopoldo, and Luiz Rau in Novo Ham-

when they see trees being removed,” she observes.

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GROWING A

beach T

written by Eduardo Souza Lima

The restoration of the strip of sand in Sepetiba is the first stage in the district’s complete revitalization

photos by Carlos Júnior

he amazing shrinking beach is now growing and gaining shape: “When I saw the plan on paper, I thought what we would be restoring was a strip of sand the size of Ipanema. But this has become a

beach the size of Copacabana!” Marilene Ramos, Chair of the State Environmental Institute (INEA), an agency of the Rio de Janeiro State Department of Environment, could not hide her enthusiasm when she visited the Odebrecht Infraestrutura works in August. The Sepetiba Beach Environmental Rehabilitation Project has left the drawing board and is now a reality, restoring a 2-km stretch of sand, with some sections that are as much as 500 m wide.

This expanse of seacoast in the West Zone of Rio

Revitalizing Sepetiba Beach: boosting the local community’s self-esteem and identity

de Janeiro experienced its heyday in the 1970s, when it attracted thousands of tourists on weekends. The environment in that area had already begun to suffer, but the process of degradation increased markedly

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The beach is back: more people are visiting Sepetiba, particularly on weekends, and birds and fish are returning. Below, the dredging operation

Transplanting mangrove seedlings Odebrecht Infraestrutura began restoring the area in September 2010. The results can already be felt, not only there but also some 70 km away, in Fundão Channel - a native mangrove that was dying out until seedlings from the mangrove that had invaded Sepetiba were transplanted there. This, incidentally, was the first stage of the project, a massive undertaking coordinated by biologist Mario Moscatelli. His team replanted seedlings in the vicinity of Fundão, and relocated fiddler crabs to Morro do Radar, in the same region. They were gathered by hand, one at a time.

“We were able to transplant about 70% of the mangrove, instead of simply removing it. In another era, it would probably have been entirely covered over,” says from the 1990s onward, when sludge began covering

Moscatelli. “The recovery project for Fundão Channel

the sand and the beach became a massive swamp.

was going on at the same time, so the two projects

“We used to make our living from the beach. I sold juice there as a vendor until 1993. After that, it was

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were mutually beneficial. The Sepetiba mangrove was key to the restoration of the channel,” he adds.

impossible,” recalls Sérgio Pinto, a native of Nova

Because the beach is located in the innermost part

Iguaçu who adopted the neighborhood 30 year ago.

of a bay, where there is little water transfer, Sepetiba

Sérgio is a member of the Sepetiba Rehabilitation

is a natural repository for detritus - and some con-

Committee (CORES), an NGO that has given voice to

sider the mud accumulated in its bed to be medicinal.

local residents’ demands for the past 12 years. But

However, human interference has accelerated this

now, he says it is even possible to catch shrimp near

process. “The mangrove is an indicator of the silting

the shore. Herons and other birds are also return-

process. The rivers that flowed into the bay used to

ing; vacationers, likewise. “On Sundays, from 2 pm

be sinuous, which prevented residue from building up.

onwards, there are 5,000 or 6,000 people here,” he

But when they were channeled, they became natural

guarantees.

barriers,” explains Mario Moscatelli.

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The residue is called silt, a mixture of clay and sandy sediment. Wastewater from organic sewage further aggravated the problem. “There is a natural process that humans accelerate with pollution and disorderly occupation. Unfortunately, the public is not aware that a swamp is vegetation, and they treat it like a garbage dump. Not to mention that it is harder to clean a swamp than a beach,” says Project Director Marcos Saliveros. The environmental damage was considerable: in addition to driving out the native plant and animal life, the degraded habitat attracted vermin, including rats and cockroaches. And then there was the stench.

The region’s 40,000 residents can now celebrate

Retired soldier Roberto Valentim: “Sepetiba will once again become the West Zone’s beach”

the first benefits of the project. “This here used to be the recreation area for the West Zone. I was born

The rehabilitation of the beach is the first step

in Marechal Hermes and came here as a kid, when I

in the project to revitalize the entire neighborhood,

was 10 years old, to live with my grandfather. Today, I

which also includes creating recreational areas such

am overjoyed to see it coming back to life,” says re-

as playing courts, and deploying a cleaning plan.

tired soldier Roberto Valentim, 56, also a member of

Now that the beach has been restored, it is also up to

CORES.

the public to take care of it so they can go on to en-

The sludge was kept in place with geosynthetic fab-

joy further achievements – for example, the water is

ric, which in turn was covered with sand. It is the same

still unfit for swimming. “I bought my house 17 years

method used to build roads and railways on wetlands.

ago, when I got married. I’ve raised my children and

“The plan calls for the beach to have an 80-m strip

am raising my grandchildren here. Sepetiba will once

that the swamp will never reach, ever again,” says

again become the West Zone’s beach. But for that to

Marcos Saliveros. Most of the sand used was extract-

happen, local residents must do their part. That is

ed with dredges from underwater deposits in Sepetiba

why environmental education is so important,” says

Bay, located up to 4.5 km from the coast.

Valentim.

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fresh air Tree planting and recyclng help ensure a better quality of life for communities in Viana, in the Luanda metropolitan region written by Eliana Simonetti

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photos by Guilherme Afonso

I

n the Kimbundu language, one of 50 spoken in Angola, zango means “gathering.” It is also the name of the district in Viana, a town in the Luanda metropolitan region, where the Populations Rehousing Program (PRP) is underway. Begun in

2001, it is generating about 3,000 work opportunities.

Odebrecht alone has built more than 15,000 houses for families who used to live in at-risk neighborhoods on the outskirts of Luanda and areas affected by the city’s urban renewal plan – a range of projects that are rapidly changing the face of Luanda.

The Zango neighborhood has been growing nonstop ever since. It isn’t easy to calculate how many people live there now, but it is estimated to have more than 100,000 residents. The original houses, each with a built area of 60 sq.m, three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom, are often adapted and expanded to house extended families, including grandparents, children, nieces and nephews, and grandchildren.

The community has garbage collection, water, electricity, schools, a bank, policing, markets, public health clinics and other services. There will always be room for improvement, but the people who live in Zango realize that moving there has broadened their horizons. It has brought new hope and provided a better quality of life.

The sea of houses that make up the neighborhood is an impressive sight for any visitor. The redness of the soil that characterizes that part of Luanda strikes the eye in that flat terrain. The region was deforested centuries ago. It is important to plant trees there, greening the land between the houses so there is shade, flowers can bloom, and everything is that much more beautiful.

A plant nursery at the project’s jobsite is helping make this happen. It has already produced over 6,000 tree seedlings of various species that have been planted in front of houses and in public areas. The goal, however, is even more ambitious: doubling the number of trees planted by the end of this year, including public spaces like parks and gardens. To ensure their survival, each resident is tasked with caring

Gardener João Domingos in the nursery: 12,000 seedlings planted by the end of 2012

for a sapling.

“You have to water them in the morning and afternoon,” explains Zango resident João Domingos, the gardener who takes care of the nursery. Because

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Noé Sacassueca is happy to show off some of the soap the cooperative has produced: generating incomes for 12 families

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these lessons are taught through lectures given at lo-

nardo, this project ensures a weekly supply of three

cal schools, 8,000 children are already caring for the

containers of oil to the cooperative. Ramos Bernar-

trees that, in a not too distant future, will transform

do, who was a schoolteacher during the war and has

the streets of Zango into flowered boulevards.

worked at Odebrecht since 2007, is pleased with the

To increase the work opportunities available to

results. But not as pleased as Noé Sacassueca, 65.

families that now live in Zango, Odebrecht has de-

After growing cassava and maize in Zango before

ployed Acreditar (Believe), the Group’s Ongoing Pro-

that area became the huge neighborhood it is today,

fessional Education Program, as well as sponsoring

he was pretty discouraged about the future. Then,

other educational initiatives, including the Zango

in 2011, he took a course offered by Odebrecht, and

Socio-Professional Center (CESA), run by the Ango-

his outlook changed. He brought together a group of

lan Congregation of Salesian Sisters. CESA has also

women and organized the cooperative, which is now

partnered with Kambas do Bem (a group formed by

made up of 12 families.

Odebrecht Angola members’ families that does vol-

The formula is simple: oil, water and caustic soda.

unteer work in that country) and the Training Cen-

Plus elbow grease to stir the ingredients until they

ter of the Angolan Ministry of Public Administration,

thicken. The liquid is poured into wood trays, where

Employment and Security (MAPESS) to help produce

it is left to dry and then cut up into bars. Nothing is

more sources of income and access to job skills.

wasted, not even the leftover soap flakes and bars

Since August of last year, in the context of sustain-

that aren’t evenly sliced. They are grated, pounded

ability programs, the project has collected discarded

into a powder with a mortar and pestle, and then

cooking oil from the cafeteria that a cooperative of

bagged. “Our production is still small, but orders are

Zango residents uses to make soap. The cooking oil

not lacking,” says Noé. Other Odebrecht projects in

is stored in 20-liter containers. Run by Ramos Ber-

the Luanda region are also being organized to find

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more ways for Zango cooperatives to recycle the cooking oil discarded from the company’s kitchens.

Recycling tires This is a drive sponsored by Odebrecht to simultaneously raise the community’s awareness about the benefits of recycling and improve their quality of life. In Zango there is also a cooperative made up of 40 people who make brooms from PET bottles. An-

Products made from used tires: an opportunity for work and income

other, composed of 60 women, produces handicrafts using a variety of materials. And there’s more: 100 people, in three different classes, are taking an entrepreneurship course to learn how to manage small businesses.

Something similar is also going on in an area not far from there, in the Special Economic Zone (ZEE), also located in Viana: a project in which Odebrecht has taken charge of installing infrastructure to facilitate industrial operations. The Community MicroEntrepreneur Tire Recycling Program is being carried out within the sphere of that project. “We have selected some people who have the skills and creativity required to multiply this knowledge,” explains social worker Telma Marisa da Silva Handa. “After all, we need to recycle tires used on the project and many others that would otherwise be dumped in the streets and neighborhoods of this city,” she adds.

Evaristo Carlos Benjamim is 40 years old and has seven children and two grandchildren. Born in Angola’s Moxico Province, he moved to Luanda with his family during the war in search of security and a way to make a living. In the army, he handled food storage logistics. Years later, after he was discharged, he joined an NGO dedicated to caring for children suffering from war trauma. That was where he learned to make paper handicrafts and developed a knack for dealing with people. With these assets, Benjamim forged ahead. This is what happened next: Six years ago, he joined Odebrecht as an admin-

to hone our skills. To make something we must first

istrative assistant, became responsible for general

design and create it, and this is an essential step that

services, and then took charge of the warehouse be-

I teach my students. We must also be careful and pay

fore reaching his current position as a social worker.

attention to safety, since we have to handle knives in

That’s what he does on weekdays. On weekends he

this activity,” says Evaristo. They make chairs, tables,

has another activity: on Saturdays and Sundays, after

vases, bowls, sandals, toys, gifts... Benjamim can cre-

church, he makes furniture and other items from used

ate whatever you can imagine from rubber tires. Even

tires. And he teaches his craft to a class of 7 young

hats, he says - although he prefers headgear made

people. “We make things to order, but we also strive

from leather or fabric.

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85

living in

equilibrium written by Gabriela Vasconcellos

Restoring degraded areas and springs in the Southern Bahia Lowlands harmonizes the flows of life

V

Permanent Preservation Areas for a 24-month period at no cost to the owners. Dete has chosen this path, and has already started planting. “I’m doing my best to get good results. Everyone in the settlement supports this program,” she says, clearly pleased.

According to Volney Fernandes, the Leader of the OCT Cooperative Alliance for Environmental Services, who is also working towards a Master’s degree in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development, his institution considers the recovery of degraded areas

aldete “Dete” do Nascimento, 47, does

and springs a priority for ensuring that the flows of life

not complain about her busy routine.

– a term that includes the soil, water, flora and fauna,

She wakes up at 5:30 am and starts

humans and their businesses - are balanced. “We want

her day. First, she makes breakfast

to establish an economy in the Pratigi Environmental

and lunch. Then she goes to her farm,

Protection Area (APA) communities that is in harmony

where she works until the late afternoon, taking care of

with the environment, thereby promoting environmen-

her palm plantation, which produces hearts-of-palm,

tal services: water, carbon and biodiversity,” he says.

and her fish farm. She then returns home and does the

Dete Nascimento is going even further. While be-

housework, taking a break from time to time to watch

coming a water producer, she is also planting a one-

TV. Preferably, Brazil’s popular novelas.

hectare area with a variety of crops, such as cocoa,

A resident of the Mata do Sossego Settlement in the

rubber and fruit trees, a method known as the Agro-

Southern Bahia Lowlands county of Igrapiúna, she is

forestry System (SAF). The OCT is providing technical

driven by work. “I’ll never stop or slow down. My life has

and financial support in partnership with the Regional

always been this way. I’m guaranteeing my survival,”

Development and Action Company (CAR), an agency

she says. For example, she has started participating

of the State of Bahia. The Brazilian Biodiversity Fund

in the Payment for Environmental Services Program

(FUNBIO), the Executive Planning Commission for Co-

(PSA), through which she helps preserve the environ-

coa Farming (CEPLAC) and the Brazilian Agricultural

ment. “I’m going to start reforesting my property, main-

Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) have also joined

ly around two springs that I have here. I decided to help

forces, conducting research that identifies plants suit-

them so they don’t dry up.”

able for cultivation in the Pratigi APA, which covers five

The PSA is run by the Land Conservation Organization (OCT), an institution that is part of the Program for

86

photos by Fernando Vivas

86

Bahian counties: Igrapiúna, Ituberá, Ibirapitanga, Piraí do Norte and Nilo Peçanha.

the Development and Growth Integrated with Sustain-

“The SAF is included free of charge, providing a

ability of the Southern Bahia Lowlands Mosaic of Envi-

means of ensuring a source of income for each family

ronmental Protection Areas (PDCIS), promoted by the

unit. It serves as a quid pro quo for farmers who set

Odebrecht Foundation, the government, civil society

aside part of their land to preserve native vegetation,”

and private institutions. This initiative enables the plant-

says Volney Fernandes. He adds that the ongoing work

ing and maintenance of native Atlantic Forest plants in

at the APA will result in a model that can be replicated

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Dete Nascimento and one of the protected springs on her property: “I decided to help them so they don’t dry up”

87

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in other regions. “It will be possible to gain scale by us-

Jeovan Nascimento, 41, hopes this will be the case.

ing existing public policies, making it natural to have

Like Dete, he cares about the environment. “My chil-

access to resources that are available in other regions,”

dren and grandchildren need to know what a forest is,”

he explains. For Dete, this is yet another opportunity to

says the farmer, who lives in the Juliana community, in

collaborate with the environment. “We receive guide-

Piraí do Norte county. Jeovan is also restoring a spring.

lines on how to cultivate crops while protecting the

“When my father came here, he found a devastated re-

soil,” she says.

gion. He made a pasture, but raising cattle isn’t profit-

In addition to her activities on the farm, Dete still

able here because it rains too much. When this oppor-

finds time to study. Last year, she graduated from the

tunity arose through OCT, he let us use those areas and

Youth House State High School, a teaching unit that is

get down to work,” he says.

part of the PDCIS and also located in Igrapiúna. The

On Jeovan’s family farm, in addition to restoring the

farmer is clearly interested in planning the future of

spring, they are also planting an SAF and engaging in

the forests around her. “What we are doing today is im-

forestry, another OCT strategy to reduce deforestation

portant for the present and future. I know we need to

which encourages people to plant eucalyptus trees to

preserve the environment now so we don’t suffer the

meet the demand for wood in the region. “I want to use

consequences later, like running out of water. I’ll leave

these different crops to increase our income and start

the rest to fate.”

my own business,” says Jeovan, who currently works as a day laborer on someone else’s farm.

Everyone’s concern

ronmental Conservation Leader, feels a sense of sat-

on activities that contribute to the reforestation of the

isfaction because farmers are realizing that there are

Pratigi APA, fostering the creation of ecological cor-

ways of using the land that does not degrade the soil.

ridors that will link up forest fragments in the Central

“This is a major achievement,” he says. “We are work-

Corridor of the Atlantic Forest, an area ranging from

ing to recover springs, deploy and promote agroforestry

Bahia to the neighboring state of Espírito Santo. “We

systems, and encourage timber production to meet the

have an annual deforestation rate of about 700 hect-

demand in this region, thereby cutting down on defor-

ares in the region. We need to reverse that trend,” he

estation. This will lead us build up an economy that is in

observes.

harmony with the environment,” he argues.

Reforesting degraded areas in the Pratigi APA: a sustainable future is being born

88

Environmental engineer Bruno Matta, OCT’s Envi-

According to Volney Fernandes, the OCT focuses

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Next issue:

Important milestones in 2012

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RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLICATIONS PROGRAMS AT CONSTRUTORA NORBERTO ODEBRECHT S.A. Karolina Gutiez BUSINESS AREA COORDINATORS Nelson Letaif Chemicals & Petrochemicals | Andressa Saurin Ethanol & Sugar | Bárbara Nitto Oil & Gas | Daelcio Freitas Environmental Engineering | Sergio Kertész Real Estate Developments | Antonio Carlos de Faria Infrastructure & Transport | Josiane Costa Energy| Letícia Natívio Industrial Engineering | Herman Nass Shipbuilding Coordinator at Odebrecht Foundation Vivian Barbosa EDITORIAL COORDINATION Versal Editores Editor-in-Chief José Enrique Barreiro Executive Editor Cláudio Lovato Filho English Translation H. Sabrina Gledhill Art and Graphic Production Rogério Nunes Illustrations Karmo and Adilson Secco Photo Editor Holanda Cavalcanti English Edition Coordinator & Electronic Publishing Maria Celia Olivieri Printing 700 copies | Pre-Press and Printing Pancrom EDITORIAL OFFICES Rio de Janeiro +55 21 2239-4023 | São Paulo +55 11 3641- 4743 email: versal@versal.com.br Originally published in Portuguese. Also available in Spanish.

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Lia Lubambo photo:

“People must love and respect nature, and help keep it in balance�

TEO (Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology)

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