TIME TO THINK AND ACT. Ideas and projects that help realize the dream of harmonious coexistence between people and nature

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1 # 162 vol XXXIX SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 ENGLISH EDITION TIME TO THINK AND ACT Ideas and projects that help realize the dream of harmonious coexistence between people and nature

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4 Online edition Online archive > Focused on springs and riparian forests, the Forest Factory program helps restore areas of Atlantic Forest on the North Coast of Bahia and is being replicated in Rio de Janeiro. > Co-sponsored by the Inter- American Development Bank, the Creer (Believe) professional education program is offering better job prospects to residents of the Huánuco region in Peru. > One highlight of the projects in Rio de Janeiro that are preparing the city to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics is the TransOeste expressway, which is already easing traffic jams. > Residents of Luanda are learning new ways to improve public health through environmental projects. > You can read this entire issue in HTML and PDF > Access all back issues of Odebrecht Informa since no. 1, and download full issues in PDF. > Odebrecht Annual Reports since > Special publications (Special Issue on Social Programs, 60 years of the Odebrecht Group, 40 Years of the Odebrecht Foundation and 10 Years of Odeprev). 2

5 m.br > Online edition of Odebrecht Informa. > Reports, features, videos, photos, animations and infographics. Video reports Blog > On the Palomino Hydroelectric Plant project in the Dominican Republic, environmental projects cover several fronts, including support for the demarcation of Haitises National Park, an area rich in birds and caves. > Saving drinking water and treating sewage. These are the goals of the Aquapolo Project, an unprecedented initiative in Brazil that supplies reclaimed water to the ABC Paulista Petrochemical Complex. > The Pedra Preta Archaeological Site in Mato Grosso do Sul will be open to visitors. > The radio livens up the workday of Odebrecht members building the Teles Pires hydroelectric plant. > At the age of 75, a seasoned farmer finds motivation in new ideas and work methods. > Alagoas municipalities benefit from the expansion of a professional education program and investments in an Atlantic Forest preserve. > Follow Odebrecht Informa on and get news in real time. > Comment on blog posts and participate by sending your suggestions to the editors. > AN ARENA FOR THREE PASSIONS World Cup City: the Pernambuco Arena will leave an urban legacy for Náutico, Santa Cruz and Sport soccer club fans > You can also read Odebrecht Informa on your ipad. Just download the free app from the App Store. 3

6 Cover: Odebrecht member with bird from the region where the Chaglla hydroelectric plant is under construction in Huánuco, Peru. #162 Photo by Bruna Romaro In Mozambique, a construction site where the protection of wildlife and productivity coexist harmoniously Sergio Leão and Alexandre Baltar, and the importance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management indicators Caroline de Azevedo and a project whose core is synergy between the company and the community In Panama, a decisive foray into the preservation of mangroves and their extraordinarily rich biodiversity Dominican Republic: projects in different sectors pave the way towards a sustainable future Folks: João Borba, Eduardo Poley and Gabriel Saúde, and how they show their love for the places where they live Lagoa Viva Green Belt: two initiatives in Alagoas become symbols of sustainability Interview: Augusto Roque, Rogério Ibrahim and Saulo Nunes discuss how Odebrecht s social/ environmental projects set the Group apart A project planned and executed to be sustainable in every aspect: Santo Antônio, in Rondônia, Brazil The past, present and future come together in the construction of the Baixo Sabor Dam in Portugal Chaglla: in the strip between the Andes and the rain forest, an exemplary preservation project arises in Peru 4

7 ENVIRONMENT In Sauípe, on the North Coast of Bahia, measures are taken to ensure the conservation of a complex environmental context Aquapolo Project: a benchmark for reclaiming water for industrial purposes and a symbol of entrepreneurial cross-cutting operations Firefighters: meet some of the professionals who take care of prevention and safety at ETH s agroindustrial units Around the world, Petrobras revamps assets to adapt them to more stringent safety and public health requirements Highway concessionaires help disseminate a culture of respect for the environment Program held at the Odebrecht Building in Salvador, Bahia helps turn minor habits into significant moves Embraport Terminal in Santos: innovative measures ensure a more rational and productive approach to water use Savvy: a leader passionate about training people, Antonio Carlos Daiha Blando highlights the lessons he has learned in his career The map shows the countries and Brazilian states (in white) where the projects and programs described in this issue of Odebrecht Informa are located, and where the people who feature in these stories live and work Greater Porto Alegre provides confirmation of the close relationship between decent housing and respect for the environment The rehabilitation of Sepetiba Beach gives back to the community one of the most scenic areas in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro Environmental awareness is changing communities lives in the metropolitan region of Luanda, Angola The reclamation of parts of the Atlantic Forest and conservation of springs mobilizes residents of the Southern Bahia Lowlands 5

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9 EDITORIAL A respectful relationship Odebrecht has set itself the challenge of being recognized as a green company that is committed to creating and providing an environmental legacy for the people living within the spheres of influence of its engineering and construction projects and industrial operations In Tete Province, Mozambique, they are taking every precaution to ensure that all kinds of wildlife are protected, and the works in progress in the region do not change their way of life. In the Dominican Republic, we are seeing examples of how a country can achieve balance by investing heavily in its development while ensuring environmental sustainability. Huánuco, Peru, is now the site of a pioneering project to rescue local plant and animal life. In the metropolitan area of Luanda, Angola, we find further confirmation of the close and decisive relationship between decent housing and environmental conservation. In the Brazilian states of Pernambuco, Bahia and São Paulo, the communities living near roadways run as concessions are the main beneficiaries of programs that make it clear that people need (and want!) to become directly responsible for their own quality of life and the protection of the environment. These are just a few examples of the activities that you will see reported on and analyzed in this issue of Odebrecht Informa, which deals with the day-today relationship between the Group s businesses and the environment. You will see how Odebrecht teams deal with environmental issues at construction sites, industrial units and offices in Brazil and other countries. To build major projects like dams, roads and water and sewer systems, and carry out complex operations like the production of thermoplastic resins and ethanol, a broad range of projects must be implemented to mitigate impacts and ensure the rational use of natural resources. The conservation of the environment, plant and animal life, and biodiversity must be part of the business - and this concept is understood and applied in every project in which Odebrecht participates. It is not just about compliance with the law, no matter how strict it may be. It is about going further, doing more than required, investing in consistent and advanced initiatives, and conducting pioneering research and studies that become national and even international benchmarks. Odebrecht has set itself the challenge of being recognized as a green company that is committed to creating and providing an environmental legacy for the people living within the spheres of influence of its engineering and construction projects and industrial operations. The main pillar of this legacy is the concept of inclusion: it is essential for communities to get involved in the process of environmental improvement so their members participate directly in maintaining, improving and multiplying the changes being made and the benefits achieved. Good reading.

10 Life is coexisten written by Cláudio Lovato Filho photos by Holanda Cavalcanti 8 8

11 Hippos in the Zambeze River: this scene, which amazes visitors, is part of daily life for members working on the Moatize Coal Project ce Work on the Moatize Coal Project in Mozambique involves the day-to-day relationship between workers, wildlife and riverside communities 9

12 Team members landing next to one of the transmission towers installed on the island: the area is being planted with native vegetation Sérgio Silveira: planos de remar até os 75 anos As it approaches the family of hippos in the middle of the Zambezi River, the small boat slows down, and the outboard motor goes off. The two engineers on board are not surprised. They just enjoy the scene. But for the Odebrecht Informa team, it is very far from being a common sight. There are eight, says the reporter. Then he corrects himself: No, there are nine. One day I counted 11, says one of the engineers. The hippos pile up on each other, dive and then emerge almost entirely from the water, like breaching whales. This is Africa, with its inexhaustible capacity for fascination. The outboard motor starts up again and the boat moves away from the family, which carries on enjoying the morning sun in the middle of the river. We are headed for an island in the Zambezi River. A project that has been carried out there might symbolize, with the greatest intensity and accuracy, the strategy of environmental conservation implemented on the Moatize Coal Project. Underway since June 2008 in Tete Province, Mozambique, in February 2012 it embarked on its second stage, which will double the mine s production capacity. We ve landed. The island is actually a large sand bank, 1,800 m long and 1,200 m wide. Four transmission towers have been installed there to carry power to the jobsite, which is served by 36 substations. André Canoas, the Odebrecht officer Responsible for Production on this project, and Leonardo Hellstrom, from the company s Health, Safety and Environment team, are the engineers who were on the boat along with the magazine s reporter and photographer. Right there on the riverbank, they meet up with two other Odebrecht engineers, Joaquim Carvalho and Flávio Macaringue, and construction supervisors Walter Gomes and Lino Paulino Mucumbe. There is still some work to be done on the island. They have to protect the foundations of one of the towers. It is no small challenge, because the soil is very unstable. The team is planting the island with native vegetation. It is a contribution that the people who tend small plots of corn, peanuts and other products there are awaiting with great anticipation. Soon, the island will be more than just a sandbar. André and Leonardo introduce the magazine s team to Abílio Sinosse. He has spent 35 years at the Ministry of Agriculture of Mozambique, working as a wildlife inspector. Since 2010, he has been tasked with protecting the professionals working on the project. Abílio, 57, is always the first to arrive on the island and the last to leave. He keeps a close eye 10

13 on the movements of crocodiles, hippos and snakes, and drives them away if necessary. My job is to protect people and wildlife; to look after both sides. I m the man in the middle. No one is allowed to kill animals in any part of the construction site, not even a snake or a spider. The hippo family we saw in the river lives on the island. Its members head for the water at around 5:30 am and return to the island later in the day. Their movements are top priority. Work stops so they can move about freely. The entire production strategy comes second to caring for the environment, says Flávio Macaringue, 31, who was born in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. The work done here on the island has been a tremendous learning experience, says André Canoas, a Brazilian from São Paulo. The environmental conservation work being done on the island has become an icon and a benchmark, but it is just one chapter, albeit a prominent one, in the context of the initiatives that were undertaken during the implementation of the Moatize Coal Project and are now being implemented during its expansion. Everything that can be done is being done to take (and exceed where possible) the usual precautions for a mining operation carried out by Vale, the client for this project. One of the biggest mines in Africa The Moatize district of Tete, the capital of the province of the same name, is home to one of Africa s largest coal mines, for which Vale has obtained the development rights. The coal extracted from the mine is thermal and metallurgical, the most valuable type, which is used in the steel industry. The mine s production capacity was initially estimated to be 11 million metric tons. Once the plant s expansion is completed, production will double. Mined in a 200-square-kilometer area, the coal is currently processed at an industrial facility that required 130,000 cu.m of concrete to build. The coal is exported from Mozambique through the port of Beira, where it arrives in trains. All this became a reality through an Alliance Contract between Vale and Odebrecht. Deploying and operating a project of this magnitude requires a commitment to sustainability. During its visit to the construction site, the Odebrecht Informa team observed the commitment of all members of the project, regardless of their program or where they work at the work fronts, in offices, in the cafeteria or in the workers accommodations. Water trucks constantly circulate around the jobsite to damp down dust and ensure air quality. Environmental inspections are conducted daily and, if necessary, result in corrective measures. Campaigns Family of river dwellers (with Rosário Roice to the right in the foreground) who are benefiting from social/ environmental projects: hope of better opportunities ahead 11

14 Equipment that is part of the industrial structure for processing coal. In the smaller photo, the Sewage Treatment Plant: conducting environmental inspections every day and lectures on water conservation, efficient electricity use, and waste management, among other topics, are carried out at all work fronts. The neighboring communities benefit from social and environmental programs, and seedlings of native species are planted and distributed. Part of the Ongoing Professional Education Program Acreditar (Believe), the module on the Environment makes a major contribution to educating people on the subject. Anywhere you go in the jobsite, selective waste collection is encouraged (with detailed instructions). It is equipped with a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) and a landfill. The project currently employs about 7,000 people directly. There are more than 1,700 professionals working for Vale, and 1,300 for Odebrecht, as well as both companies subcontractors. At the peak of the expansion works, 8,500 professionals will be actively involved in the project a jobsite with the population of a town. Eighty-five percent of the people in the workforce are currently Mozambican, but even those who come from elsewhere know that the local communities relationship with nature is transcendental. Their religious beliefs are very strong, and it is important to understand their customs and traditions. Residents of the area near the jobsite, especially the families who live on the banks of the Zambezi, understand that the projects in the vicinity, including the Moatize Project, are bringing benefits to their historically poor region. When the Odebrecht Informa team visited Tete in mid-august, a prolonged drought was threatening to ruin the harvests and causing tremendous concern. Rosário Abílio Roice, 36, a resident of the riverside Chivur community, welcomes the works being carried out in Moatize. They mean more development for our country. Now we have more roads, more power, and all this while respecting the environment, animals and vegetation. Roberto Salvador Reis, the Odebrecht officer Responsible for Health, Safety and Environment, says: We have already achieved important victories, but much remains to be done. For example, we want to deploy a recycling cooperative in the Moatize district, with a sorting plant that will be operated and managed by community members. Colbert Nascimento, Vale s Health, Safety and Environment Leader for the project, adds: We re going leave behind a legacy of social and environmental sustainability. 12

15 Sergio Leão (left) and Alexandre Baltar: the aim is to set practical examples for reducing CO 2 emissions controls Strict written by Emanuella Sombra photo by Ricardo Telles Alexandre Baltar is the officer Responsible for the Climate Change area of the Odebrecht Sustainability Program run by Sérgio Leão. In August, on a dry Southern-Hemisphere winter afternoon in São Paulo, both men set aside a few hours of their time to provide Odebrecht Informa with Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Management indicators for the Group s Engineering & Construction companies, which recently concluded their second Annual GHG Emissions Inventory, Base Year Having learned all about emission processes [during the first inventory], we now face a different and even bigger challenge: setting goals for achieving more efficiency in controlling these emissions, says Baltar. However obvious this may seem to a layman on the subject, the Baltar s observation does even come close to covering the typical challenges faced by an industry whose main features include mobility and Odebrecht s Engineering & Construction companies complete their second Annual GHG Emissions Inventory adaptability. This is because, unlike businesses and industries that have fixed production plants, in the Engineering & Construction business each project has a relatively short cycle, from beginning to end, which makes it hard to conduct comparative analyses of the same situation over the years. 13

16 However, this is not the only complex aspect of the challenge. Each project has its own peculiarities. A road built in a flat region requires different production processes from another road built in rugged terrain. And, of course, both will generate different environmental impacts, says Baltar. He explains that, like the first, the second Annual GHG Emissions Inventory is serving as a parameter for Group members to determine the goals that should be prioritized, and how to adapt them to the different regions and countries where the organization operates. Major emitters One of these goals is to improve the methods used to control fuel consumption and utilize greener cement and steel. According to the inventory, altogether, these raw materials directly or indirectly accounted for 83.6% of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere in At the top of the list, fuels and lubricants consumed by approximately 27,000 pieces of equipment used at the jobsites produced 34.3% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Cement (29.3%) and steel (20%) consumption came right behind. Baltar explains that even when a given activity has a small impact, its viability should be assessed, because it helps change people s attitudes and can produce other benefits. For example, air travel represents just 2.7% of the emissions inventory. Although it is a comparably small figure, the need to fly is constantly called into question. We usually encourage people to ask themselves: instead of traveling, wouldn t it be possible to resolve the matter through a teleconference, for example? Baltar observes. Encouraging these types of questions benefits the environment and the company, which ends up reducing the cost of its operations. Consequently, it disseminates the culture of sustainability among its members, who working on ways of saving resources in a decentralized, active and ongoing fashion. According to Sérgio Leão: We should recall that the quality of our operations must be maintained in every situation. Therefore, it is essential to think about contextualized sustainability everywhere where we operate. It cannot be something that is brought in from the outside. Sérgio s observation reflects the Group s Engineering & Construction companies constant efforts to gain an understanding of the context of each project. This can be seen by observing the number of projects and regions covered in the inventory. All told, it has evaluated 135 contracts in an operation that involved 14 countries where the Group is present, including Brazil. About 850 members directly participated in the survey. Santo Antônio, Palomino and Chaglla This concern is already being transformed into action. One project is being carried out at the jobsite for the Santo Antônio hydroelectric plant in Rondônia, Brazil. The planning of the jobsite 14

17 The Palomino hydroelectric plant in the Dominican Republic: sales of carbon credits will help finance social outreach projects spared 291 hectares from deforestation, out of a total of 1,108 ha whose clearing had been authorized by IBAMA, the Brazilian environmental agency. This initiative resulted in 26% savings in the cost of deforestation for the project and a reduction of 206,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions, an amount that corresponds to approximately 40% of all emissions from burning fossil fuels over the course of the construction project. As Rio+20 demonstrated, companies have become leading players in this process. The nations represented there have established that they will reach an agreement on goals by 2015, and in the meantime, businesses need to do their homework; to influence others, argues Sérgio Leão, who, like photo: Geraldo Pestalozzi Baltar and other leaders attended the UN conference last June. The construction industry involves a supply chain of associated companies that work in the delivery of products. What we are doing here impacts that entire chain. Some decisions, such as choosing suppliers that produce cement with lower emissions, and optimizing waste transport at the jobsites, end up making the difference in controlling these emissions. Others, such as the sale of carbon credits, benefit the client and the community in which the project is located, since they generate resources and can help finance social projects. This was the case with the Palomino hydroelectric plant in the Dominican Republic, which is expected to generate about 120,000 metric tons of CO2 in carbon credits annually. In addition to Palomino, another plan to sell carbon credits has been developed at the Chaglla hydroelectric plant in Peru, which is expected to generate 1.8 million metric tons of CO2 per year in carbon credits. When it receives approval from the Peruvian government and the UN, Chaglla should be the fourth largest among more than 1,200 hydropower projects already approved, adding value to Odebrecht Energia s business. The purpose of the carbon market is to help achieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol, which went into effect in 2005, setting limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, it has gained importance in the sustainable development agenda. In 2009, Odebrecht Engineering & Construction and 26 other companies signed the Open Letter to Brazil on Climate Change, which contains a number of voluntary commitments to reducing environmental impacts and presents proposals to the Federal Government on that issue. One of the challenges facing Brazil is to establish alliances and a governance model for sustainable development that involves more than sporadic and temporary measures, says Sérgio Leão. According to Sérgio and Alexandre Baltar, the completion of the second Annual Inventory is just the beginning of a process aimed at carrying out the measures being developed at the jobsites. This is our objective: to set a practical example that is in line with the specific characteristics of Engineering & Construction, says Baltar. 15

18 PROFILE: Caroline Todt de Azevedo The pleasure of collective achievements Responsible for sustainability projects at EPP, Caroline bases her work on the constant pursuit of partnership with the community written by Júlio César Soares photo by Arthur Ikishima Her car has got stuck in mud again, but Caroline Todt de Azevedo is used to it. As the Sustainability Manager at the Estaleiro Enseada do Paraguaçu (EEP) company, she does essential work with residents of the town of Maragojipe in the Recôncavo Baiano (the fertile bay region near Salvador, Bahia), where Odebrecht is building a shipyard in partnership with UTC Engenharia, OAS and Kawasaki. Better known as Carol, she believes that people are the driving force for the development of the region and its ecosystems. Sustainability results from overcoming barriers by working directly with communities, and sharing common goals, she argues. In addition to her work at EEP, Carol chairs the Social/Environmental Working Group that is part of the Odebrecht Knowledge Community on Sustainability. Created in April of last year, the group plans to gather and systemize projects and measures related to that subject carried out within the organization. We worked for a year to produce the Good Practices Handbook. It contains successful cases from different businesses that serve as a handy reference guide for all companies and can be replicated by anyone, she observes. Nearly 300 members attended the launch of the publication, which took place in Panama in April. When organizing this event, the group decided to minimize the format of talks by big names in the industry and opted to engage in two and a half days of work, says Carol. According to her, this method was successful. Each member signed up for a topic that they felt needed the most work in their project or company, applying what they experienced at the meeting to their line of work as systematically as possible. The Environmental Group s most important task is to provide the tools that members need to go beyond the realm of ideas and transform sustainability into a work tool that is always present on a project, says Carol, adding: Sustainability is not just about preservation. It s also about effecting local development with the community s active participation, and should be viewed as an integral part of any business. And the Knowledge Community is the main agent for disseminating our Sustainability Policy until it s in the 16

19 Group s blood, and that also goes for the Action Plan and each and every leader. The daughter of a Brazilian mother from Pernambuco and a German father, and herself the mother of two, Caroline, 44, was born in the city of Salvador. This is her first challenge at Odebrecht, but she has already built up an accomplished track record during several years of experience at companies like Ford and Petrobras. I think that was a factor that led to my being elected group leader: the experience I ve acquired at companies that, just like Odebrecht, maintain rigorous protocols on this subject and advocate a strong policy of sustainability, she says. After graduating in Biology from the Federal University at Bahia (UFBA), Carol studied Molecular Biology at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), and earned a Master s degree in Sustainable Development from the University of Brasilia (UNB). She observes that seemingly unrelated subjects like those she focused on in her academic career are more closely linked than you might think. The broader and more diverse your professional background is, the broader your vision and the greater your understanding of the complexity of a project will be, she argues. Rossival Manuel da Silva, a resident of Enseada do Paraguaçu, a former maroon community located in the vicinity of the project, manages to get Carol s car unstuck with the help of another local resident. She thanks them and reflects on her difficult commute to the shipyard. I take the ferry from Salvador to Itaparica [Island]. Then I drive to Maragojipe for an hour and a half on muddy tracks and bad roads. However, confirming the potential of the work we are doing to bring about integrated local development in this region inspires me to get up willing and ready to embrace this challenge, Carol guarantees. Caroline Azevedo: people from the community are the driving force for sustainable development Sustainability Carlos José: Toda obra should be viewed as tem começo, meio e fim, mas esta aqui an integral part of any é permanente business 17

20 Protecting the mangrov written by Zoraida Chong photos by Pablo De Leon 18 Panama City will be the first Latin American capital to have a Metropolitan Mangrove Park Observation deck built by Odebrecht in the Juan Díaz Mangrove: while enjoying the biodiversity, people are sensitized about the importance of the mangrove and its preservation 18

21 es Every year, more than 2 million migratory birds - mainly shorebirds arrive in Panama Bay, headed for a mangrove called Manglar de Juan Díaz. The birds put on a show, alongside the spectacular sight of crabs scuttling along the shore in search of food when the tide is low. The huge variety of marine animals that reproduce in this important natural habitat attracts the birds year after year. The biodiversity of the Juan Díaz Mangrove is so rich that, in 2003, it was recognized as an area of international importance by the Ramsar Convention, a treaty signed by 162 countries that seeks to preserve the planet s wetlands. Nevertheless, the environmental, scientific and scenic treasures of the Juan Díaz Mangrove coexist with human activity that is often harmful. The rising tide sweeps all kinds of refuse among the mangrove trees: we can see plastic bottles, household appliances, shoes, and many other items that were improperly discarded at some point. Even worse, when the tide goes out, the debris will stay and sink into the marshy soil, making the landscape a veritable sea of mud and garbage. In this context, Odebrecht has found an opportunity to help raise the public s awareness of the importance of wetlands and the need for civic participation in their conservation: Juan Díaz Mangrove Park. Enjoying biodiversity The Juan Díaz Mangrove is a protected area located right next to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (PTAR) in the Panamanian capital, an important project being implemented by Odebrecht that will prevent the long-term pollution of rivers in the city and Panama Bay. One of the compensation measures included in the Environmental Impact Study for the plant was building an observation deck for migratory birds, which will allow visitors to enjoy the area s biodiversity. The plant s location has brought about an opportunity to go beyond the established environmental obligations and use this platform to develop a more comprehensive initiative, explains Afranio Oliveira, the Project Director for the Panama Bay Clean-Up Project. A Strategic Plan has been activated to bring partners together in the struggle to preserve the Juan Díaz Mangrove. On April 22 of this year (Earth Day), Anada Tiega, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, visited the mangrove and got a close look at the first Metropolitan Wetlands Park ever established in a major Latin American city. As a result of her visit, Anada Tiega invited Odebrecht to give a presentation on the concept for the project at the 11th Conference of Parties in Bucharest in July. This is an opportunity to analyze the consolidation of wetlands conservation and urban management. Moreover, we must underscore that this voluntary initiative comes from a company that has focused on the protection of the mangroves, says Anada Tiega. Ligia Castro, the Environment executive at the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), has also seen the results of the initiative for herself, and she is optimistic. Today, more companies are doing the right thing. They are incorporating environmental externalities and committed to their social and environmental responsibility to improving areas in the vicinity of their projects. Francisco Martins, the Odebrecht Panama officer Responsible for Sustainability, is in charge of the presentation at the Bucharest conference. He observes: The few minutes that it took to present the Mangrove Park project were enough to attract the attention of professionals from the other side of the planet, including leading technicians, managers and others who are doing outstanding work around the world to ensure the preservation of wetlands. 19