Sustainability

Biodiversity

The history of occupation of Oeste Paulista, the region where Umoe Bioenergy develops its production activities, refers to the Bandeirante movement started in the 17th century. This region was anthropized through the economic cycles that have developed over the last few centuries, such as mining, coffee growing and cattle raising.

As a region that has already been affected by human activity, as a way of combining economic development and environmental preservation, Umoe Bioenergy seeks to carry out its productive activities in areas of cultivation that have already been human-affected, thus removing the need for further changes in regional land use. In addition, since its implementation, it has contributed to the demarcation and protection of Permanent Preservation Areas - APP and Legal Reserve - RL of its properties and partner areas. As a result of this stage, opportunely and gradually, it has been developing projects for the environmental restoration of these spaces with a view to water security, formation of life corridors that promote the preservation of regional fauna and flora as the project recorded in this aerial photograph.

The results of this work can be verified by the increase in the areas of vegetal cover generated by the approximately 812,705 seedlings planted, as well as the increase in the number of sightings of specimens of the fauna reported by our collaborators during the performance of their activities.

Water

The conservation of regional water resources is also another area of activity of Umoe Bioenergy. The holistic view of its processes is a constant and for this reason there is an interface between preservation and recovery projects related to Biodiversity and the search for greater water security in its area of operation.

Within this theme, another action that is routinely developed is the search for the reuse of water resources inserted in our production processes, whether those captured or those brought through sugarcane, which has a significant portion of water in its composition. Through this continuous search, the lowest values were recorded in recent harvests, reaching a record 610 liters.

Complementing industrial reuse, there is Fertirrigation in the agricultural area. This process contributes to the increase in the reuse rate, given the fact that the wastewater from the industry is reused in the irrigation of the sugarcane fields. These waters are added to Vinhaça, therefore, reducing the need to seek other resources for this process.

Closing this circuit, the springs covered by the fertigation area are monitored annually.

Air

Another biosphere compartment, in addition to water (Hydrosphere), that deserves to be highlighted in view of the sustainability process of Umoe Bioenergy's operations is air (Atmosphere). This is because the process for obtaining steam and, consequently, for generating electricity at Our Company is based on the burning of sugarcane bagasse. The combustion of this renewable fuel, this biomass, ends up generating, among others, mainly emissions of Particulate Materials and Nitrogen Oxides.

Thus, industrial process boilers are equipped with protection systems called gas scrubbers, which aim to control these emissions, bringing them to the levels required by applicable legislation. As a way of ensuring their perfect functioning, Umoe Bioenergy maintains an annual maintenance system for these systems, as well as monitoring the fees related to these emissions.

In the agricultural area, the main source of emissions stems from fires, whose management is better explained in the “Burning Elimination” section.

Climate changes

At the 26th Conference of the Parties held in Glasgow, UK, governments from all corners of the globe came together with a focus on ensuring that by the year 2100 global warming has been restricted to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-Industrial Revolution.

In this global search, Umoe Bioenergy, as a company that produces energy from renewable sources, plays a very important role because:

• Provides renewable liquid fuel – Ethanol, will enable the transition to an economy without fossil fuels;
• Provides renewable electricity in the National Interconnected System contributes to reducing dependence on fossil fuel-fired thermoelectric plants;
• Invests in the production of renewable energies, as well as in the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems;
• It works to prevent and fight fires, contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions – GHG of biogenic origin;
• It seeks to carry out its activities in collaboration with other agents of organized civil society.

Listing such initiatives and comparing them with the goals of COP26, it is clear that Umoe Bioenergy is, and will continue to be, aligned day by day, contributing to the commitment to achieve zero global emissions by the year 2050.

Use of Agrochemicals

The management of agricultural crops commonly requires the use of agrochemicals, either as a way to correct nutritional deficiencies in the soil, or as a way to combat pests that plague crops.

In this way, the technical team of Umoe Bioenergy's agricultural area seeks to develop its activities always based on qualitative and quantitative analyzes that make it possible to determine if any intervention is necessary and, if so, what methodology, what input and what dosage to be used.

In this dimensioning of treatment actions, the team always seeks to mitigate the possible impacts by prioritizing:

• the use of by-products from the industrial process (vinasse and filter cake) to replace chemical fertilizers;
• the use of biological pest control to the detriment of the use of pesticides;
• managing the use of pesticides in line with the surrounding activities of other stakeholders.

Burning Elimination

Since 2007, when the government of the State of São Paulo proposed the first agro-environmental protocol for the sugar-energy sector, Umoe Bioenergy has been present. This protocol, having recently received the name Etanol Mais Verde, initially proposed the anticipation of the end of the use of controlled burning as a pre-harvest method for sugarcane.

In 2013, our company managed to complete the harvest without having to resort to burning as a pre-harvest method that was provided to it. Thus, since that year, Umoe Bioenergy's sugarcane harvesting process has become 100% mechanized.

However, fire still poses a danger to the entire region. In this way, Umoe Bioenergy has a Fire Prevention and Fighting System - SIPECI that aims to ensure the prevention of fires and, if this is not possible, the effective combat of occurrences of this nature. This is why this structure is integrated into the Emergency Mutual Assistance Plan – PAME of Pontal do Paranapanema. Integrated in this regional movement, Umoe Bioenergy also aims to contribute to the elimination of the practice of using fire along with other activities in the region and in the maintenance of a joint structure, capable of supporting its members during events of greater magnitude where the individual infrastructure of the reached is not sufficient for its care;