Seedling Nursery – Ecovias
EcoRodovias was listed in 2011 on the BM&FBOVESPA’s Business Sustainability Index (ISE), offering further recognition of its transparency and responsible actions.
As a socially responsible company, EcoRodovias follows rules associated with quality, environment, workplace health and safety, complies with labor agreements and has signed on to social-environmental commitments.
It maintains transparent contact with employees, suppliers, users, communities, governments, shareholders, the media, NGOs, financial institutions, competitors, associations, professional organizations and subsidiary companies, with contacts conducted through social responsibility projects, specific communication channels, public hearings and earnings results disclosure events.
In 2011, EcoRodovias’ labor force included 4,062 full time employees and it is listed among the best companies to work for. It offers fringe benefits to all employees, including a private pension plan as well as salaries that are compatible with the market. It conducts the EcoRodovias Performance Evaluation Program (PADE), which annually evaluates each employee with regard to his or hers targets and skills and an Individual Development Plan (PDI). It also offers the Skill Academy Program comprising a series of specific training sessions for professional improvement; in 2011, the group conducted 102,728 training hours through this program.
EcoRodovias offers employees a number of different, specific programs aimed at enhancing their careers, health and welfare. Since 2006, it has been running a relocation program for those who are retiring or have been dismissed.
The Company offers quality assistance in all of its managed units and makes available free services such as towing, mechanical assistance, medical emergency aid, highway inspections and specific services on long holidays and during the vacation periods. In 2011, 129,132 tow truck mechanical help calls were answered, 21,449 ambulance callouts occurred and 219,985 inspections of our highways were conducted.
The suppliers who work for the group must prove their technical and quality capacity as well as the ability to deliver on time and at market rates.
EcoRodovias holds meetings and conference calls with shareholders and investors to report about its performance and it also maintains an Investor Relations website, at www.ecorodovias.com.br/ir, containing exclusive content for this public. The Company’s relationship with neighboring communities is strengthened through the hiring of local manpower.
It is a member of a number of organizations, such as the Brazilian Corporate Governance Institute (IBGC), the Ethos Institute, the Brazilian Association of Technical Norms (ABNT) and others.
EcoRodovias organizes and supports a number of educational, cultural and sports projects. In 2011, it initiated a sponsorship of the Brazilian women’s and men’s Paralympics volleyball teams. It also runs the Ecooperar and Ecoviver programs, which are highlights in this field. The former prepares young people and members of cooperatives in the Grande ABC region how to generate value in the solid waste chain while the latter fosters environmental awareness of its highway networks in communities and schools in the regions.
The Company seeks to maintain an agile and transparent relationship with the media. The disclosure of press releases, marketing, advertising, promotional and sponsorship materials comply with the Business Code of Conduct. Through December 2011, the Company received 58,678 citations in the Brazilian media, and was mentioned positively in a number of the main press outlets such as Folha de S. Paulo and Valor Econômico, being classified among the largest economic groups in the country by Valor Econômico. It has a Sustainability Affairs Department that orients the actions of each of the individual Sustainability Committees and is always striving to implement the best practices for internal processes pursuant to the Company’s sustainability guidelines.
In 2011, the Company was listed on the BM&FBOVESPA’s Business Sustainability Index (ISE) and since 2009 has been a member of the Brazilian platform of Companies for the Climate (EPC). All of its concessionaires have received certification under the rules of ISO 9001, for quality; ISO 14001, for environmental management; and OHSAS 18001, for occupational safety, hygiene and health.
Its highways make use of special asphaltic mixtures processed through the burning of LPG in order to reduce the pollution deriving from using heavy oils produced through the oil refining process. It seeks to reduce the consumption of paper and water and to reutilize them in its operating routines. It adopts best practices for management of solid waste and complies with the new National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS).
It also adopts procedures to reduce the consumption of energy through energy efficiency projects, conscientious consumption campaigns, educational lectures and other means. Since 2010, it has been using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to calculate its emissions.
The Company maintains a “Seedling Nursery,” a project combining environmental preservation and social responsibility. The seedlings are planted along the highways to preserve neighboring hillside areas as well as in the center strips, and they contribute to the environmental compensation of the construction work carried out on the roadways. Headed up by a nursery specialist, 16 employees with disabilities nominated from the Association of Parents and Friends of Exceptional Children (Apae – Diadema) are involved in the nursery operations, which in 2011 produced 70,282 seedlings.
All of EcoRodovias’ concessionaires conduct highway safety awareness campaigns. The teams are prepared to act in emergency situations as well as help to avoid accidents preventively, including escorting trucks with dangerous loads when they are traversing our highways. In 2011, EcoRodovias invested R$1,559,538.83 in environmental management.