According to Ecovadis, one of the world's most respected entities in corporate sustainability assessment, Sonae Arauco ranks among the top 5% of the most responsible companies globally, having received the Gold Medal in recognition of its performance and ongoing commitment to best business practices.

Edite Barbosa, Chief Corporate Officer at Sonae Arauco, says: "The EcoVadis Gold Medal confirms that we are preparing the company for the future on the right foundations. This distinction strengthens our global management system, our belief in operational excellence and further reinforces our commitment to responsible business practices. With a clear path and the commitment of our people and partners, we were able to achieve positive performance in ESG indicators and obtain this international recognition."

The Ecovadis assessment considers more than 150,000 companies worldwide, analysing 21 sustainability criteria in the areas of Environment, Labour and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. The ratings are based on international sustainability principles and benchmarks, namely the conventions of the International Labour Organisation, the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative and ISO 26000, as well as the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, an initiative that Sonae Arauco recently joined.

The Gold Medal awarded to Sonae Arauco reflects the company's clear commitments and long-term focus on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) best practices, while also recognising the new global management system, which integrates strategy, policies and operations. The company has a robust integrated SEQEn (Safety, Environment, Quality and Energy) policy and specific policies in the areas of Labour and Human Rights, Sustainable Procurement and Business Ethics, based on international best practices, as well as a Code of Conduct for Suppliers, thus extending its commitments to the entire value chain.

Clear goals demonstrate commitment to ESG

Sonae Arauco's policies are supported by clear and measurable objectives. In the area of Labour and Human Rights, commitments include, among others, full compliance with fundamental rights, namely the strict prohibition of child labour and forced labour, as well as a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination and harassment.

In Safety, the objectives include, among others, the goal of achieving a Safety KPI (global indicator that relates frequency and severity rates) ≤100 by 2027, in line with a policy of accident prevention, elimination and mitigation, as well as the qualification of 100% of critical suppliers in Environment, Health and Safety by the end of 2026.

In the area of the Environment, objectives such as reducing specific water consumption by 5% by 2026 and increasing post-consumer collection and recycling by ≥5% by 2027 stand out. In addition to these indicators, practices are being implemented with a view to reducing overall waste generation.

In the field of Energy and Climate, commitments include, for example, reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by at least 58.8% by 2033, compared to 2019, and also focusing on solid improvements in energy efficiency.

Additionally, in terms of Sustainable Procurement, by the end of 2026 we are committed to training 100% of buyers on the Supplier Policy and Code of Conduct, as well as having 100% of potential high-risk suppliers sign the Code of Conduct by 2026.

Progress in all areas will be reported annually in the Management Report and, for the first time this year, also in the company's Sustainability Report.

See our rating here.