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April 13, 2009
Sustainable Juruti Project presented in new book
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The Getulio Vargas Foundation, the Brazilian Biodoversity Fund and Alcoa present their proposed sustainability model for Juruti, the municipality that is home to the company’s bauxite mining project
The structural measures needed to promote sustainable development in Juruti, a small town in the state of Pará, on the banks of the Amazon River, are now available in the book Sustainable Juruti: A proposed model for local development. The publication is the result of a partnership between the Getúlio Vargas Foundation’s Center for Sustainability Studies (GVCes), the Brazilian Biodoversity Fund (Funbio) and Alcoa.
The book presents the experience of implementing the Sustainable Juruti Project from its very conception, setting forth guidelines for shaping a short, medium and long term local development agenda. Since it is a recent experience, driven by the installation of Alcoa’s mining project in Juruti, the publication features proposals, methods and dynamics that are still underway. The book also presents in-depth interviews with Franklin L. Feder, president of Alcoa for Latin America and the Caribbean; Mario Monzoni, chief coordinator of GVces; and Pedro Leitão, general secretary of Funbio. Our expectation is that, once implemented, this project will constitute a public asset at the service of all society.
According to Franklin Feder, the Juruti mine was designed to be fully integrated with the community and to embrace the strategies of sustainability. “Our intention is to make Juruti the best mining project in the world. We realize that it might be unattainable, but this target matters to us and helps us mobilize the hearts and minds of all Alcoans,†declared the president of Alcoa. “Mining in Northern Brazil has seen some very negative experiences. We believe that if we can make Juruti a benchmark, it will be good not only for the town, but also for the whole Northern Region, for the mining sector, for Brazil and also for Alcoa,†he said.
These goals of Alcoa are reflected in the Sustainable Juruti Project, which began to be implemented back in 2006, when the construction of the Juruti mine was also only just beginning, after it had secured the necessary environmental licenses. After a series of surveys and discussions with a multidisciplinary team, including field research and a review of the local and regional contexts, a report was drawn up entitled Sustainable Juruti: Diagnosis and Recommendations, which was the embryo of the Sustainable Juruti Project.
Three prongs of sustainability
The Sustainable Juruti Project addresses each of the three prongs of sustainability for promoting regional development: respect for the environment, social responsibility and economic success. The implementation of this model was identified as one of the main aspirations of the community of Juruti, and it is a voluntary initiative on the part of Alcoa. This, in addition to all the other actions currently underway, whether to meet legal requirements for installing the Juruti mine (Environmental Control Plans, Collective Compensation Matrix of the Socó I Settlement) or other voluntary initiatives (Positive Agenda).
The Project is already running successfully. And, in addition to the System of Sustainability Indicators and the Sustainable Juruti Fund (FUNJUS), which has already had its first working proposal presented, the Project also includes the Sustainable Juruti Council (CONJUS), a public space for dialogue between all the different parties involved in the local development.
The indicators will be used as a reference to support the decision making of the Council, which, in turn, will make recommendations to the Fund concerning priorities, investments and financial support. Each component of the Project can draw on the active participation of representatives from civil society organizations, local government and the business community.
“In this model, the indicators and the fund are the tools supporting the flagship, which is the social mobilization. The indicators monitor whether or not things are moving in the right direction and the fund will be a financial compensation instrument to steer the development towards where it should be headed. Nevertheless, the crucial part is the social mobilization and constructive dialogue between the company, the government and the community,†explained Mario Monzoni, chief coordinator of GVces.
According to Pedro Leitão, general secretary of Funbio, FUNJUS bears all the hallmarks of a major innovation. “The fund can be considered a milestone in the development of the mining sector in Brazil,†he said, adding that these actions are the right way to forge a good relationship with the community. “The return on this investment is to be a legitimate and full member of this community. In addition to this, just take a look at the stock portfolios that invest in sustainable companies. This kind of investment in social and environmental responsibility pays a return far beyond just being able to do business locally in peaceâ€.
About the Getúlio Vargas Foundation’s Center for Sustainability Studies (GVces)
The Center for Sustainability Studies (GVces) supports the incorporation of sustainable development principles into all sectors of Brazilian society, through research, training and dissemination of knowledge. Created in 2003 by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV), GVces develops programs in five key areas: Sustainable Production, Corporate Sustainability, Sustainable Finance, Global Sustainability and Sustainable Consumption. GVces believes in the possibility of changing the development paradigm in today’s society through coordinated, multidisciplinary and participative actions, and with an emphasis on the corporate context and on public policy.
About Funbio
The Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (Funbio) is a non-profit civil association created in 1995 to complement government action for the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s biological diversity, in compliance with the global Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) and the Brazilian National Biological Diversity Program (Pronabio). Its mission is to assign strategic funds for the conservation of biodiversity in Brazil. More information at www.funbio.org.br.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems. The Company has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for seven consecutive years. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.
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