Braskem has been committed to process safety, environmental excellence and respect for human rights since its inception through various mergers in 2002. The global chemical and plastics company has been hailed as an exemplar in an industry known for its contamination of air, soil and water.
When Braskem's salt mines under the town of Maceió in the north of Brazil were allegedly associated with cracks that destabilized homes, leading to the relocation of thousands of people in the affected communities, the company took immediate action.
“This was clearly a moment to show leadership not only by taking action to safeguard lives, but also by taking our social engagement to the next level,” said Elaine Santos de Santana, Social Responsibility and Human Rights Manager at Braskem.
Promoting human rights
Speaking at SAP Sapphire in São Paulo, de Santana explained that for Braskem, delivering sound business to the communities where it operates is an important pillar of its sustainable development strategy, a commitment strengthened after the Maceió events.
Since then, the company has stepped up its presence in places where it operates and strengthened its programs to promote the welfare and security of the people touched by their business.
Human rights are inherent to all people on the planet, regardless of gender, race, religion or nationality. They are universal and range from the right to life itself to everything that makes life worth living, meaning food, health, education, work and a clean and safe environment.
“Sustainable development implies a just society that promotes opportunities for everyone,” said de Santana. “Our goal is to promote human rights and equity in our operations and supply chain. This means contributing towards the local development of surrounding communities, which involves educating and creating awareness amongst the population.”
Creating a renewable plastics supply chain
BraskemShe went on to cite the example of plastic waste. People need to first understand that plastic has value, just like metal and paper that is routinely collected in many communities for recycling. Until now, plastic was ignored and left to accumulate on rubbish heaps. Braskem has a number of initiatives, including the development of partnerships to foster inclusion and to improve conditions for waste pickers.
“Plastic can improve lives,” said de Santana. “We have school programs to educate children and the broader community on the benefits of returning plastic. We are also providing the infrastructure required for collection and recycling. These activities not only help improve living conditions by cleaning up the community and providing income, they add dignity to the work performed within the plastic value chain.”
Setting clear targets
Braskem’s work in local communities contributes to a circular economy and promotes education and entrepreneurship. In 2021, the company started its second cycle of due diligence in human rights, a process that will help achieve its goal of 100% management of high and medium human rights risks by 2030, up from 94% in 2022, and increasing the number of people benefited in communities to 500,000 people, up from 311,000 in 2022.
It also has clear global goals regarding its own diversity and inclusion programs. For example, the company aims to increase the percentage of women in leadership to 40%, up from 33% in 2022, and the percentage of black team members to 37%, up from 33% in 2022, by 2030.
Technology plays a key role is achieving these ambitions. The company’s ERP system runs on SAP, providing transparency on its Human Resources data.
“Child labor and slave labor are still common in many parts of the world,” commented de Santana. “Technology is a great ally in mapping cases worldwide to make sure such practices are not part of the company’s supply chain. The Compliance team uses specialist tools for screening suppliers periodically.”
Braskem’s attention to health and safety goes hand in hand with its focus on environmental stewardship. A leader in environmental innovation, the company was recognized for its environmental performance by the Corporate Sustainability Index early on.
Innovating for environmental excellence
Its production of I'm green™ polyethylene, a bio-based plastic made from sugarcane, was considered one of the most transformational cases in sustainable development in the Industry & Energy category by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC).
The I’m Green portfolio includes bio-based alternatives for various sectors including packaging for food, beverages, personal and house care items, materials for toys, furniture and sports equipment, and materials for agricultural and industrial purposes. In addition to the I’m Green products, the company’s core business is the production of resins, specialties, solvents, olefins and aromatics which are used as base materials in essential sectors of the economy such as healthcare, manufacturing and construction.
Braskem is a leader in developing the recycling supply chain and in October 2022, the company launched Wenew, a circular economy global ecosystem. It is addressing industry challenges by:
- Developing products that facilitate chemical and mechanical recycling
- Developing technologies to enable large scale use of recycled material
- Engaging and educating consumers on the recovery and reuse of waste
- Innovating in the area of circular package design to reduce and reuse materials
These activities will help Braskem increase its sale of products with recycled content to 300,000 tons per year by 2025 and 1 million tons by 2030. They will also prevent 1.5 million tons of plastic waste from being sent to incineration, landfills or disposed of in the environment.
By taking these steps to improve social and environmental standards, Braskem is contributing to improve the quality of life in its local communities. “This is how we respect and promote people’s rights throughout our processes,” concluded the human rights manager at the world’s sixth largest petrochemical company.
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