The SERR Strategy was launched in 2018 by Iguá with the aim of inserting the Sustainability agenda in each of the business areas and structuring the organization for the ESG model. Since then, there has been a process of refining the sustainability model. In 2020, the improvement stage began between the alignment of the axes and related projects, as well as the respective associated Sustainable Development Goals. The objective is to develop projects and actions related to the SDGs that are more in line with the Company’s business model, with metrics to monitor their effectiveness. The restructuring of the SERR strategy was launched on World Water Day, on 03/22/2021.
We understand that sustainability is not just a business commitment, but an inseparable factor in our business, which makes it possible to transform people’s lives. Iguá’s management in relation to the universalization of basic sanitation is based on 4 axes of action.
Water Security: With the increase in demand for water, resulting from population growth, the expansion of intensive and extensive agriculture and per capita consumption levels, pressure on supply sources – sources of surface or underground fresh water used to human consumption and for the development of economic activities. This pressure exposes water sources to risks, such as inadequate soil and water use practices, overexploitation of water resources, removal of vegetation cover (example: riparian forest), erosion and silting of rivers and streams, among others.
Aware of this scenario, we reaffirm our commitment to water security, that is, to the search for ensuring sustainable access to quality fresh water, through the conservation and preservation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, adaptation to climate change, reduction of pollution and other practices that contribute to maintaining the availability of this valuable resource.
Efficiency in Water Cycle Management: One of our pillars of action is efficiency in the collection, production and distribution processes. To this end, we continually seek to guarantee water delivered with quality, within the potability standards defined by Consolidation Ordinance No. 5, of 2017, of the Ministry of Health. Guaranteeing water quality is a fundamental and non-negotiable issue for us, in all the operations.
Likewise, we work to reduce energy use throughout the water distribution system chain, optimize the application of chemical products in treatment and reduce real and apparent losses to sustainable levels, seeking the rational and balanced use of natural resources to ensure the regularity of supply.
To make our management even more robust, we joined the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS).
Responsibility for Sewage Collection and Treatment: Being responsible for the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage, for us, means constantly improving the effluent treatment process, contributing to the recovery of watercourses and expanding the coverage of collection and treatment of sewage. sewage, aiming at the universalization of services and better public health conditions.
During the sewage collection, treatment and disposal process, the commitment to the quality of the treated effluent and waste management is also present in Iguá’s sustainability strategy.
Respect for People: Our success is the result of the professionalism and dedication of more than 1,500 employees who work in 18 operations around Brazil.
To enable the development of a modern, innovation-oriented company, we are developing an organizational culture based on the protagonism of each employee and their role in transformation in all areas. In 2020, we were chosen for the fourth consecutive year as a great company to work for by the Great Place to Work (GPTW) consultancy.
Through the socio-environmental projects and client management that we carry out in the municipalities where we operate, we have strengthened our relationship with the communities. The restructuring of the SERR sustainability strategy, which began in 2020, has as one of its guiding principles Iguá’s even closer ties with the communities, increasing its contribution to the sustainable development of the municipalities in which it operates.