Respect for the environment is one of the principles guiding Alcoa's operations. Good management practices, like contributing to maintenance of the biodiversity and environmental education, have turned the Company into a case-study of Excellence in Sustainability. Conservation of the environment is one of the basic premises followed and respected in those locations where it operates.

For Alcoa one of the main tools in this conservation process is to use protected areas for introducing Environmental Education Programs. It has, therefore, been actively involved with two environmental parks that are maintained voluntarily in Minas Gerais and Maranhão States. These areas serve as truly living laboratories where the flora and fauna and integration with the environment can be studied. The parks promote activities like talks and environmental education workshops for children, develop projects with universities and arrange walks along nature trails.