Development

BAESA is working with neighboring communities to continuously improve the region. Many advances have been obtained in the living conditions of the local population since the power plant started being built, leading to a new socio-economic outlook. An example of this is the SC 456 highway that links Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Thanks to the partnership between BAESA and the Santa Catarina State government, integration of the region has now been improved with the paving of the road that links Anita Garibaldi in Santa Catarina and Pinhal da Serra in Rio Grande do Sul.

The company invested more than R$ 24 million in actions in the areas of health, education, public security, social assistance, infrastructure and leisure. The result of such an investment is clear for all to see. In October 2005, for example, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) published a list of towns and cities with the biggest GDP growth in Brazil in 2002, and Pinhal da Serra (RS), one of the power plant’s municipal seats, appears in first place in the wealth-growth ranking in Brazil, with an increase of 566.35% over the previous year. In other words, its wealth went from R$ 15.6 million in 2001 to R$ 104 million in 2002. In Pinhal da Serra BAESA worked with SEBRAE, the town administration and with local communities in preparing and implementing the Municipal Strategic Management Plan, which comprised the introduction of 42 social projects in the 2009 – 2012 period, covering topics such as economic development, health, education, the road system, basic sanitation, housing and social assistance.

Another important factor for guaranteeing the self-supporting capabilities of the region’s families is professional training. Since 2005, when the families were resettled in rural communities, BAESA has been promoting training courses and guiding the residents in how to develop new economic activities, like producing milk, growing fruit, farming fish in ponds, beekeeping, handicrafts and raising free-range chickens and pigs. In order to achieve good results BAESA availed itself of another fundamental tool: a partnership with recognizably capable entities, like the Agriculture and Livestock Farming Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (Epagri), the Rio Grande Association of Technical Assistance Undertakings and Rural Extension (Emater), the National Rural Apprenticeship Service (Senar), the Brazilian Commercial Apprenticeship Service (Senac), the Brazilian Micro and Small Companies Support Service (Sebrae), the University of the West of Santa Catarina (Unoesc) and others.

Recognition

The various awards won are testimony to the quality of the socio-environmental projects developed by BAESA:

• Expression Ecology Prize, 2010, awarded by Editora Expressão [publishing house];
• Citizen Company Prize, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, from the ADVB-SC;
• Certificate of Excellence in Environmental Management in 2009 and 2010, awarded by Editora Expressão and Civitas Responsabilidade Social;
• 500 Biggest Companies in the South Prize, 2009 and 2010, from Amanhã magazine;
• Oswaldo Cecchia Human Being Prize, 2010, from the Brazilian Association of Human Resources;
• Eloy Chaves Medal 2010, in the Health and Work Safety category from the ABCE;
• Recognition Medal from the Ministry of Sports;
• Social Responsibility Certificate, 2008 and 2010, from the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul;
• Fritz Müller Trophy, 2007, 2008 and 2009, awarded by Fatma, a Santa Catarina environmental body;
• Friend of the Responsible Fatherhood Institute, awarded by the Responsible Fatherhood Institute;
• A Friend of the Child Company, 2008, 2009 and 2010, from the ABRINQ Foundation;
• Protection Brazil Prize, 2009, from Proteção magazine;
• Human Being Prize, 2009, from the Brazilian Association of Human Resources;
• Sesi Quality in Work Prize, 2008, from Sesi/SC;
• Entrepreneur José Paschoal Baggio Prize, 2006 and 2008, from the Correio Lageano newspaper;
• COGE Foundation Prize, 2008;
• Mário Henrique Simonsen Prize: Social Balance Sheet Excellence, 2007, from the Trade Association of Rio de Janeiro;
• Top of Marketing Prize, 2004, from the ADVB-SC.