Brazilian Companies Seek Sustainable Alternatives for Public Transport

Ouro e Prata Became the First Company in the Road Sector to Implement the Neutral Passage Seal, Which Compensates for Carbon Dioxide Emitted During Trips, One of the Causes of Climate Change.

Sustainable actions have increasingly attracted the attention of companies worldwide. The concern to deliver good service without causing irreversible damage to the environment is already one of the goals of major businesses such as Google and Audi.

Ouro e Prata, a national and international bus fleet, always thinks of new projects that involve socio-environmental responsibility, as this is one of the company’s main values. “Our journey is marked by a sustainable vision to preserve natural resources to bring the best results for the environment and for people. Through these actions, we contribute to reducing environmental impacts and inspire other companies and individuals to undertake actions aimed at social and sustainable causes,” explains Luana Fleck, Director of Ouro e Prata.

Ouro e Prata Planted 438 Native Trees in the Permanent Preservation Area

Among the main actions related to the environment is tree planting. On the company’s 82nd anniversary, a reforestation action was carried out in an environmental protection area where the company planted 438 native trees in the permanent preservation area at the JOCUM high school in Gravataí/RS.

The chosen biome was the Atlantic Forest, which covers about 15% of the national territory, across 17 states. As a result, 73,000 kg of CO² were compensated. The action also addressed the 3 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to engage companies for development.

They are: SDG 11 (make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable), SDG 13 (take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts), and SDG 15 (protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss).

Ouro e Prata Uses a System for Collecting, Treating, and Reusing Rainwater for Washing and Flushing Buses

Bus washing also has a unique feature. The company uses a system for collecting, treating, and reusing rainwater for washing and flushing the buses – about 300,000 liters of water per month are no longer taken from the environment.

In addition, the company participates in the Seleciclar Project, a program that consists of selective separation, packaging, and disposal of recyclable materials, organics, and metals. In the social area, Ouro e Prata donates seat covers previously used on the buses, as well as printed materials and tarps to solidarity economy groups that transform them into products such as t-shirts, blankets, and bags, generating income for families in situations of social vulnerability.

In the month of forest protection (celebrated on 07/17), Ouro e Prata became the first company in the road sector to implement the Neutral Passage Seal, which compensates for carbon dioxide emitted during trips, one of the causes of climate change.

“The estimate with the new feature when purchasing tickets is that the company will compensate more than 252,000 kg of CO² equivalent by the end of 2022. The pioneering aspect of this action is to encourage environmental awareness in society, and we are very happy to offer passengers the option to offset the carbon from their trip, making them part of the change along with us. This adds to the other actions we already practice daily, thinking of a better future for the planet,” emphasizes Luana.

Understand How the Neutral Passage Seal Works

When purchasing a ticket through the website, the customer will have the option to neutralize the carbon dioxide emitted during the trip through an “acceptance” that will be available in the shopping cart. By choosing the option to neutralize carbon, the passenger will pay a fixed fee of R$ 1.60, which will be used to compensate the CO² emitted on their journey. All the money raised will be redirected to certified climate and environmental protection projects through Eccaplan, a Sustainability Consulting company, partner for managing these initiatives.

The amount serves to support certified Brazilian environmental projects. All initiatives follow international standards and protocols, such as the Verified Carbon Standard and the UN. The project supported by Ouro e Prata will initially be the Santa Maria Forest Farm, located within the area known as the Legal Amazon, occupying 71,714 hectares of native forest in the municipality of Colniza (MT).

More information and social and environmental benefits of this project can be found HERE.