Manaus, Brazil Plants Trees in Amazon to Neutralize CO2 Emissions
Manaus, Brazil Plant
The Manaus team recently initiated their first step in a strategic project initiative for carbon compensation and neutralization on World Earth Day on 22 April 2023. While the team is always committed to delivering legendary customer service to their valued customers, they are equally committed to sustainability and protecting our future by lowering CO2 emissions.
We reached out to Pablo Da Cruz, Manaus Plant Coordinator, and Caio Izabel, LATAM Market Intelligence and ComEx Manager, to learn more about the initiative and share information with our global colleagues.
How did the carbon compensation and neutralization project come to life?
The project concept came about two years ago through a supplier that provides consultant services for Manaus. Working in partnership with a local institute, Value Stream Academy, they offered Manaus and surrounding companies the opportunity to offset and/or neutralize their carbon emissions through the planting of native trees in the Amazon.
The project includes a budget for planting 161 tree seedlings on Greif properties and/or on Private Natural Heritage Reserves. The goal is to neutralize Scope 1, where CO2 emissions generated by our forklifts, gas kitchen equipment, and transportation vehicles are neutralized. The Manaus team is assessing an expansion of the project to involve Scope 2 and waste reduction, which covers gas generated in our forklift trucks and fuel from factory cars.
How does the initiative align with the Protecting Our Future mission?
In our view, this initiative fully aligns with the mission of Protecting our Future. Not only today, but in the future, the Amazon rainforest plays an enormous role in the lives of the employees of the Greif Manaus team, as well as many of our local business partners. This initiative will contribute to the regrowth of the vegetation that has been so badly affected by fires and deforestation.
Who is all involved from Greif?
With the support of our Engineering and Operations Manager, Reginaldo Iurkiv, and the entire Manaus plant, the carbon project is being coordinated by Quality Leader, Rafael Leite, Pablo Cruz, Manaus Plant Coordinator, and LATAM Marketing team members, Caio Izabel, Gustavo Melo and Pedro Melo. For the first planting, more than half of the Manaus operation team participated and assisted with planting 95 of the 161 seedlings. Going forward, they will plant the final 66 tree seedlings in another NGO riverside community over the next few months.
Tree Planting on World Earth Day, April 22, 2023
What are the short-term/long-term environmental benefits of the project?
In the short term, the planting appeals to the local Manaus society about the need to conserve the original vegetation of the Amazon, as well as all the plants that are native to the region. In the long term, the growth of the fruitful vegetation will help the local economy, to provide extra working income to many of the people who take care of the plantations.
Is the project occurring only at the Manus location, or are other Greif locations involved?
The initiative was started only by Manaus, but the company, Three Earth, is already evaluating the increase of their portfolio for the planting of trees in the Mata Atlantica in São Paulo. Mata Atlantica is a tropical forest on the outskirts of São Paulo that is in dire need of reforestation in order to continue offering critical biodiversities to the planet.
How long will the project continue?
Since the project started two years ago, there was a pause due to partnership changes. However, at the beginning of 2023, the Three Earth company, together with the company, Amazon Cert, and Greif Manaus, all companies have joined forces to complete the technical studies to assess the feasibility and determine the number of plants needed to neutralize and/or compensate for the increase in carbon emissions.
