Braskem has been recognized as a Leader in Sustainable Development for the sixth consecutive year by Global Compact LEAD . The announcement was made this Monday (Sep. 23) at the UN headquarters in New York. 

The Global Compact LEAD is a select group of companies whose commitments to the UN Global Compact are recognized and which take on a leadership role within the Global Compact, considered the biggest corporate sustainability initiative in the world. Of the more than 10,000 companies worldwide that participate in Global Compact, only 36 companies received the UN recognition and Braskem was the only Brazilian company in this list. 

"We are concerned about constantly reinforcing our engagement and our contribution to the social and environmental agenda. Our purpose is to improve people's lives by creating sustainable solutions from chemicals and plastics and we are very proud to be recognized once again as a leader in sustainable development by such an important organization. This shows that we are on the right track," said Fernando Musa, CEO of Braskem, who attended the events related to the UN Climate Week in New York. Jorge Soto, sustainable development director, received the honor on behalf of Braskem.

Musa represented Braskem in two events that are part of the Climate Week agenda: Transformative Business Leadership for 1.5oC future and the UN Private Sector Forum, two meetings with world leaders, executives from large companies and representatives of civil society and the UN itself to discuss the importance of broadening the ambition to avoid greater impacts of climate change. 

According to Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, "LEAD companies represent the highest level of engagement with the UN Global Compact. More than ever, the world needs companies of all sizes - such as those announced today as LEAD - that incessantly work to improve their sustainability performance and take measures to build a better world." 

To receive the recognition, companies must actively participate in at least two Action Platforms of the Global Compact, showing their engagement and commitment to defining and promoting leadership practices aligned with the Ten Universal Principles of the Compact, which are fundamental and internationally accepted values in the fields of human rights, labor relations, environment and anticorruption, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) , which address an agenda of global actions built around a common agreement with various nations, including Brazil, and with targets to be achieved by 2030. 

Sustainable Development at Braskem
At Braskem, Sustainable Development is taken into consideration in all businesses, projects and processes. On the topics of Climate and Water, for example, the company continues to seek the engagement of partners, clients and suppliers. In 2019, it remained in the A List of the CDP Supply Chain ranking of CDP , a non-profit organization that evaluates companies that best influence their supply chain in adopting new approaches to climate change and water management. Braskem is the only Brazilian company to obtain the highest score in the Climate ranking three times in row and in the Water ranking for the second time. 

In July this year, Braskem was included in the CEO Water Mandate of the Global Compact, a global community of more than 150 companies committed to advances in water management. And the company continues to invest in the development of products and solutions that can minimize social and environmental impacts, always in line with a business strategy that considers ten macro goals with targets set for 2020, which are linked to the UN SDGs. 

Braskem's ten macro goals to contribute to Sustainable Development are: Safety, Economic and Financial Results, Post-Consumption, Local Development, Water Efficiency, Climate Change, Development of Solutions, Strengthening of Practices, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Resources. All these actions are described in the Annual Sustainability Report ; providing details on the progress of the company's initiatives is another condition to be recognized as a Leader in this area by the Global Compact LEAD.

One of Braskem's initiatives in the area of Renewable Resources, for example, is the development of Green Plastic , the world's first polyethylene made from 100% renewable resource - sugarcane - which helps reduce CO₂, one of the greenhouse gases. To expand the portfolio of bio-based resins, Braskem started producing in 2018, also from sugarcane, Green EVA , a solution with applications in diverse sectors such as footwear, automotive and transport, among others. 

Also in 2018, Braskem publicly announced its support for the Circular Economy , voluntarily undertaking commitments and defining a series of global initiatives to forge partnerships with clients to develop products aimed at expanding and facilitating the recycling and reuse of plastic packaging, especially single-use packaging. The initiatives also include further investments in new bio-based resins and support to new technologies, business models and material collection, separation, recycling and recovery systems, in addition to educational actions that foster the engagement of consumers in recycling and conscientious consumerism programs. 

Another Braskem initiative to foster Sustainable Development is in the company's management process. In recent years, the company has been adopting new routines and controls and revising policies to improve its governance and compliance processes in order to make teams increasingly more multicultural and multiethnic and to strengthen its contribution to Sustainable Development, while reinforcing its businesses.