Braskem Global
Braskem Idesa
Braskem USA
Braskem Europe
ESG Commitments
Social
responsibility and Human
rights
Our ambition
Be recognized as a company that promotes human rights and equity in our supply chain and contributes to the local development of surrounding communities.
Our goal
Gender equality:
Increasing the number of women in leadership positions.
Ethnic diversity:
Increasing the number of people of color among our team members.
Development of local communities:
Benefitting people through our social responsibility initiatives.
Human rights risks:
Management of 100% of high and medium risks of our supply chain relating to Human Rights.
Our performance
Caring for people is a premise we extend to our entire value chain.
Our efforts are divided into three main fronts: social responsibility; human rights; and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Click below to learn more about our performance on each of these topics.
Social responsibility and
elationship with communities
Request for
donation
or
sponsorship
You can submit your project as an application for Sponsorship or Donation and it will be reviewed by Braskem.
Find out in advance about topics, guidelines and restrictions.
Sponsorship
Transfer of financial resources from Braskem, with or without the use of tax incentives, to legal entities.
Send a request for sponsorshipDonation
Monetary values, goods, equipment or services given to organizations and that bring clear socio-environmental benefit.
Send a request for donationHuman Rights
Braskem and its subsidiaries (“Braskem”) aim to improve people’s life through chemicals and plastics. The power of human relations is one of the company’s pillars and, for this reason, our commitment to respecting human rights is fundamental to running our business.
We act in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The UNGPs are predicated on responsible business conduct and carrying out due diligence in line with the International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Our Public Commitment and the Global Sustainable Development Policy, approved by the Board of Directors, reinforce our commitment to the topic, also expressed in Braskem Code of Conduct and in the Code of Conduct of Third Parties
Access the information in german here
Due Diligence in Human Rights
In 2017, Braskem began its first cycle of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) with methodological bases aligned with the UN Guiding Principles and international human rights instruments. The focus of the work was Brazil, which is home to the company’s largest operations, and in 2021 Braskem began a new HRDD process that is now operating on a global scale.
The latest process took place remotely due to the pandemic, but preserved its main feature: that is, putting the rightsholders at the center of the evaluations. Interviews were conducted, in all locations, with members of the communities adjacent to our operations, with team members (including leaders), contractors, and outside experts, in addition to documentary analyses and information from the public domain and the press. As a result, risks and impacts were identified at the global and local levels.
The company’s actions are always guided by operational excellence, respect for human rights, and the pursuit of positive impacts on society, yet opportunities for improvement were identified with regard to some aspects: occupational health; relationship with communities; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; value chain; and disposal of plastic.
As part of the due diligence process and UNGP guidance, Braskem manages these risks through its Corporate Risks Management, which has structured criteria for monitoring and measuring action plans. In this regard, certain areas of the company were involved in the analysis for the integration of these risks, with due care being taken so as not to lose the perspective of the risk to people while valuing the gains from greater strategic monitoring of each risk. Existing action plans already address most of the recommendations, and new plans are under construction for those not yet covered. The Corporate Risks Management process is assessed and monitored by the Board of Directors and by the company’s Senior Management, ensuring a periodic and systematic review of the risks and opportunities for improvement.
We aim to manage 100% of the high and medium risks related to human rights by 2030
In 2022, we accomplished 96% of those action plans based on the 2017 HRDD. In 2023, a new action plan will be implemented, based on the latest HRDD.
Support program for employees potentially impacted by harassment and discrimination
In Brazil we are in the final stages of developing a directive for treating and supporting employees potentially impacted by moral and sexual harassment with a structured plan involving Compliance, People and Organization, Occupational Health, Sustainable Development, and Legal areas. The company has channels for filing complaints – such as the Ethics Line – and provision for disciplinary actions against potential aggressors. It also seeks to offer a program that assists and supports those who are potentially affected, establishing the attributions and responsibilities of the internal areas and of all team members so that the implementation occurs in a coherent and effective manner.
One of the main premises is that the support structure be humanized and that the investigative process and its ramifications be comfortable for the potential victim. Furthermore, the Ethics Line will continue to operate independently, ensuring the confidentiality and anonymity of the complaints and the Internal Commission for the Prevention of Accidents and Harassment will strengthen its training role within the company, in compliance with the Law 14.457/22.
Responsible Ethanol Sourcing Program
In 2016, Braskem implemented the Responsible Ethanol Sourcing Program to ensure integrity and sustainability practices in the sugarcane chain through audits of suppliers.
In 2022, the Program has gone through a comprehensive revision in which social, human rights, labor rights and upstream chain management has been strengthened in the new auditing models. The Program revision is fully aligned with ISEAL sustainability standards and Bonsucro certification, with effective field implementation in 2023.
Braskem supports the
"Na Mão Certa" program
Braskem supports the Programa na Mão Certa (“On the Right Track Program”) on Brazil’s roads. Aligned with our commitment to human rights, for more than a decade we have sponsored the Program, an initiative of Childhood Brasil, an institution that works to safeguard children, influencing public policy to protect children and adolescents from exploitation and sexual abuse, within diverse social contexts, but especially throughout Brazil’s road network.
In addition to the financial support provided, Braskem also promotes initiatives on the topic, throughout the year, encouraging ongoing dialogues with truck drivers in all regions, emphasizing the important role of these professionals as agents of safety on the roads, as well as disseminating the Dial 100 helpline for reporting cases of sexual exploitation. To find out more about the activities of the Program and Childhood Brasil, access
www.namaocerta.org.br
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
The program has three pillars:
Human diversity is a set of cultural, biological, social, and economic characteristics that make each individual a unique being.
A diverse group, community or organization is one where a diversity of these characteristics exists.
Equity consists of adapting the existing rule to an actual situation in order to make it fairer.
It is a process that begins by recognizing this uneven starting point and undertakes to correct and resolve the imbalance.
Inclusion is the appreciation and inclusion of populations that, for historical and social reasons, face barriers in society and in companies.
It is the act of creating an inclusive work environment, training, visibility, respect and fair treatment for these populations.
In addition to actions developed across the board, that is, addressing diversity as a whole, we have initiatives
directed towards inclusion and increasing representatives from historically sidelined groups, organized into five work fronts.
Progressively increase the number of people of color team members and leaders.
Ensure an inclusive and prejudice-free work environment.
Promote gender equality through actions that foster women’s empowerment and equal opportunities.
Promote an inclusive work environment, free from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which guarantees equal opportunities and rights.
Promote an inclusive work environment and equal opportunities for people with desabilities.
Through an Intern Program in some regions around the world, Braskem seeks the inclusion of young people between 18 to 24 years old in situations of social vulnerability, offering their firt job opening and the development of education via and for work.
Our actions are guided by initiatives that we are signatories of and that offer guiding principles for work.
We are guided by the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and the Global Pact. We are signatories of Elas Lideram movement, launched by the Brazil Network of the Global Pact, with the goal of increasing the number of women in senior leadership positions to 30% by 2025. We also partnered with Movimento Mulher 360, which advocates for diversity and increased female representation in the corporate world, communities, and the value chain.
We are guided by the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) of the UN Women and the Global Pact. We were one of the signatories of the Equity is Priority movement, launched by the Brazil Network of the Global Pact, which aims to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions, with the goal of having 30% women occupying senior leadership positions by 2025.
Guided by the principles of the Corporate Forum and LGBT Rights initiative, we are the first major Brazilian company to become a signatory.
Guided by the principles of the Corporate Forum and LGBT Rights initiative, we are the first major Brazilian company to become a signatory.
COOPERATIVA TEXTISUR
Cooperativa Textisur is formed exclusively by women from the community, promoting local entrepreneurship through the manufacture of industrial uniforms, cloth masks, medical uniforms, among others.
Location: Nanchital, Vera Cruz
PLASTIVALE
The program supports participating students and schools by improving their education and school infrastructure by exchanging post-consumer plastic waste for school items. The objective is to promote good practices in the area of plastic collection, recycling, disposal and use, helping to cover the entire life cycle of plastic. The project also strengthens relationships with the local community, as it serves 65 primary and secondary schools in Nanchital, Villa Allende, Mundo Nuevo and Coatzacoalcos, in the state of Veracruz.
Location: Nanchital and Coatzacoalcos
PLASTIEN
PLASTIEN is like a plastic waste collection cooperative run by women entrepreneurs from Nanchital, Veracruz. Through this program, Braskem Idesa creates infrastructure and offers training to small and medium-sized business entrepreneurs to help them increase family income and offer them access to better opportunities.
Location: Nanchital, Veracruz
PLASTIANGUIS
Program of the National Association of the Chemical Industry - ANIQ adopted by Braskem Idesa since 2017, which focuses on promoting responsible consumption, recycling and recycling of plastics through the creation of infrastructure for the collection of plastic waste, which can be exchanged for basic products of grocery or school supplies.Location: Mexico City, Nanchital, Guadalajara, Monterrey
Formando Laços
Formando Laços Program aims to bring Braskem closer to the communities, as well as university students, customers, suppliers, governmental and non-governmental institutions, the press, among others, so that they can learn more about our processes and facilities in Brazil. Learn more
Locomotiva
This is a social initiative, which aims to promote the socio-productive inclusion of young people, initially in Santo André/SP and later in neighboring regions.The purpose of Lutheria is to set up a school and atelier for the training of a workforce specialized in lutherie and the manufacture of string instruments rubbed from PVC plastic.
SECI Social + Centro Cultural AZO
Sports and culture for children and young people around Braskem's units in the ABC region of São Paulo. This is the focus of the traditional SECI Social Project and AZO Cultural Center, a reference for the region's community since the 1990s.
Casa do Zezinho
Casa do Zezinho, since its foundation, has been a space for development opportunities for children and young people who live in situations of high social vulnerability, fostering human development so that society becomes a better place.
Braskem supports this institution and opens doors for low-income children and young people, guaranteeing their education and nutrition, in order to break down social and economic barriers and create conditions for them to dream of autonomous thinking and pursue their life goals
Mandaver Project
Braskem supports the development actions carried out by the Mandaver Institute in communities that live in conditions of social vulnerability in the Vergel do Lago neighborhood in Maceió. Mandaver's focus is to stimulate the local economy, with professional training, sports and education. The Institute also has a social bank and activities aimed at sustainable entrepreneurship and circular economy with a socio-environmental nature. The shellfish gatherers participating in the project sell sururu shells and are paid with "Sururote", a social currency developed for the community. Each Sururote is equivalent to R$ 1.00 and is accepted in supermarkets, clothing stores, neighborhood barbershops and other services in the neighborhood.
Environmental Station - Cinturão Verde
Ecological reserve of 150 hectares, located in the restinga of the Pontal da Barra neighborhood, between the Atlantic Ocean and Lagoa Mundaú, in Maceió - AL. In 2006, it received certification from Unesco as an Advanced Post of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve in Alagoas. The recognition comes after the certification of Conservationist Breeding Area granted by the environmental agencies, it is also due to the reforestation actions carried out and the increasing visitation of the Alagoas population in the place.
The objective of the project is the full development and natural reproduction of fauna and flora, transforming the Cinturão Verde Environmental Station into an ecological refuge, where birds and animals from the surrounding area find the appropriate environment for their reproduction and survival, in addition to providing environmental education and the development of socio-environmental projects that positively impact communities and society in general.
Corais de Maré
Innovative project that aims to recover reefs in Baía de Todos os Santos (BA), using the skeleton of the bioinvader Coral-sol to produce seedbeds for the native species Millepora alcicornis, enhancing its recovery process with the help of plastic materials. In addition to preserving and restoring the marine ecosystem, the action benefits communities on Ilha de Maré, with income generation, ecological tourism and training of environmental agents.
Braskem and Sebrae Program to Support Local Entrepreneurship
The Program is aimed at micro and small companies and proposes to show the paths in a scenario of changes, either in consumer behavior or in business models. It also aims to discuss accelerating the use of digital tools through free consultations in the areas of strategy and planning, finance, people, marketing and sales.
Preparar Project
The Project is aimed at teenagers from 14 years old and takes to schools and other institutions the knowledge necessary for the personal and professional development of young people, such as content related to sustainable development and SDGs, Circular Economy, Finance, Diversity, Technology, Entrepreneurship, among others.
The Franklin Institute - Official Diversity & Inclusion Sponsor
In 2018, Braskem was elected the first official Diversity and Inclusion sponsor of the Franklin Institute in the United States. Together, Braskem and the Institute encourage diversity and inclusion through programs, such as: Color of Science, Women in Science, and Introduce a Girl to Engineering, among others. These programs aim to encourage a more inclusive vision of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) careers for the 21st Century and include hands-on activities, special workshop offerings, as well as opportunities for one-on-one interactions with academic leaders, industry executives and influential leaders.
Philadelphia Eagles Sustainability Partnership
The partnership includes the development of a recycling program for bottle caps and other plastic products. It also has an online education platform for 30 schools in Philadelphia, PA, to teach students career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and inspire the next generation of leaders.
Recycling Center Marcus Hook
In the United States, there is a Braskem plant located directly in a residential community, in Marcus Hook, PA. We have actively participated in 5 meetings of the Marcus Hook Environmental Advisory Committee and maintain an active relationship with the Marcus Hook council representative to ensure we are helping to meet the needs and expectations of the community.
In 2022, we financed (through Private Social Investment) a new waste collection center so that Marcus Hook residents could recycle common household waste.
We partnered with Keep PA Beautiful and the Marcus Hook Borough to conduct a cleanup drive and focus on areas near the Marcus Hook Creek to remove plastic waste from the environment.
Plastitroque
Plastitroque aims to highlight the importance of selective collection, awareness and correct disposal of each type of waste and encourage the recycling chain. Students from participating schools exchange recyclable plastics for plasticoins (project currency), which are converted into school gifts, food or hygiene and cleaning products.
Innovate to Build
The program's content highlights the various applications of plastic in construction, expanding knowledge about the material's versatility and advantages. In partnership with FIRJAN, the program aims to train and contribute to income generation for participants.
Lagoa Viva Environmental Education Program
The program promotes workshops dedicated to environmental education and training to support the restoration and conservation of the environment, the generation of income for the population and the promotion of local culture in Maceió/AL. Over the years, it has contributed significantly to improving the quality of life of residents of the surrounding community, becoming an influential agent of public policies in the cities of Alagoas.
ser+
The project aims to promote the social inclusion and socioeconomic development of workers at the waste sorting units, strengthening and professionalizing cooperatives so that they become protagonists of major social and environmental transformations.
Braskem Entrepreneurs
The project aims to promote the professional training of women in micro and small businesses in the region surrounding Braskem, enabling sustainable growth through the construction and application of management practices, structuring of short-term financial operations and construction of processes for generation of ideas.
Honey Fishermen
Beekeeping project that is present in 6 municipalities in Alagoas: Maceió, Coqueiro Seco, Santa Luzia do Norte, Barra de São Miguel, Roteiro and Marechal Deodoro. The main objective is to generate income for fishermen in the region of the lagoon complex during the closed season, when fishing is not allowed, generating an additional income for the fishing families that are affected during this period. Braskem offers producers training and technical support and the equipment needed to practice the activity.
Ecobarreira (Eco-Barrier)
Ecobarreira is a sustainable solution for removing waste from the Guaíba River, in Rio Grande do Sul (RS). The project, in addition to playing an important role in cleaning up the river that supplies the city of Porto Alegre, receives support from Braskem in environmental education actions through visits focused on raising awareness about consumption and post-consumption.
Environmental Station
The Environmental Stations are green areas located around Braskem units in Alagoas, Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). The spaces function as learning environments about sustainability, conscious consumption, product life cycles and biodiversity through a series of initiatives carried out at the locations.
Global Volunteering Program
WAt Braskem, we have a passion for service and the purpose of improving people's lives. This is also the essence of our Global Volunteer Program, launched in 2017. Through the collaborative attitude of our Members, we are able to bring benefits to the community. The activities carried out by the volunteers are based on Braskem's Macro Sustainable Development Objectives and the choice of institutions benefiting from the program are located in the vicinity of our operations and capitals of the states where we operate.
Edukatu
First online learning network on conscious consumption and sustainability. The content works on consumption and after conscious consumption and is aimed at both teachers and elementary school students from schools throughout Brazil.
