We believe that doing business according to environmental, social and governance best practices is, before everything else, a management approach that should be taken in all activities and internal teams. Having a commitment to sustainability is one of our values and has been continuously worked in our culture, with the developments required for a company that aims to be perennial.
Objectively speaking, constantly evolving, mitigating risks and creating opportunities on the ESG agenda are the responsibility of our CEO. To support the orchestrated actions taking places in several vice presidencies, we rely on a communication and sustainability advisory service, with leadership and a team devoted to tracking actions, indicators and external reports on advancements on key material issues.
We are signatories to the Brazil Network of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, an initiative involving businesses and organizations in 160 countries to foster the engagement of the private sector with sustainability, promoting a more inclusive and equitable global market.
There are about 16,000 members committed to the ten principles laid out by the human rights, work relations, environment and anti-corruption teams. We are permanently at work bringing awareness of these principles to sensitize all of our stakeholders and applying the guideline to our day-to-day business activities and relationships.
We are also in line with the SDGs, an agenda introduced by the UN in 2015 to guide the efforts to achieve 17 goals by 2030. We have internally verified adherence to 10 SDGs, to which we directly or indirectly contribute through our business and operations. Check out our approach below and elsewhere in this report.
SDGs
Telecom SDGs worked by Algar Telecom
Actions to contribute to achieving the goal
Related GRI/SASB indicators
1
1.4) By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance.
Providing access to utilities and appropriate telephone and Internet technologies to the communities in our concession area. Providing mobile and landline broadband services in all of our retail regions, regardless of the size of their towns. Using RTOs to expand and prioritize traffic capacity in sensitive areas, such as education and health, serving hospitals, clinics, schools and colleges in the public and private sectors to ensure quality Internet connections. Similarly, we supported e-commerce, which is key to the survival of many businesses in times of social distancing. Large-scale connectivity, with focus on results achieved through products and services that support more agile, safer decision-making.
GRI 102-12: External initiatives
GRI 102-13: Membership of associations
GRI 404-1: Average hours of training per year per employee
4
4.1) By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
4.4) By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
4.7) By 2030, ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of cultures contribution to sustainable development
4.c) By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries, small island developing States.
Algar Telecom is a maintaining partner at the Algar Institute, which focuses on improving education in communities living in regions where the Algar group is present. The Company is committed to sustainable development and continuously communicates with stakeholders, while supporting the Algar Institute’s educational projects.
GRI 102-12: External initiatives
GRI 102-13: Membership of associations
GRI 404-1: Average hours of training per year per employee
5
5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
Commitment to foster communications in support of putting an end to all forms of prejudice and violence against all women. Communications campaigns launched and backed to get the message of gender equality across for our stakeholders. Algar Without Barriers Program developed to make the company more and more plural and diverse the practices with no tolerance for discrimination.
GRI 401-1: New hires and employee turnover
GRI 405-1: Diversity of governance bodies and employees
10
10.3) Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
Engagement in actions to reduce discriminatory practices inside the Company, formally making this commitment through internal policies, by adhering to the Global Compact, and by fully complying with the corporate code of conduct. Through the Algar Without Barriers Program, we seek to make the company more and more plural and diverse the practices with no tolerance for discrimination.
GRI 102-8: Information on employees and other workers
GRI 102-16: Values, principles, standards and norms of behavior
GRI 102-17: Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics.
GRI 401-1: New hires and employee turnover
GRI 404-1: Average hours of training per year per employee
SDG
Algar Telecom’s SDG targets
Initiatives to help reach target
GRI/SASB related indicators
7
7.2) By 2030, substantially grow renewable energy’s share of the global energy matrix.
7.3) By 2030, double global energy efficiency levels.
Algar Telecom largely uses renewable energy in its activities. There are specific energy efficiency indicators and we have plans to invest in clean energy. For 2022, Algar Telecom’s targets for investment in the renewable energy segment involve renewing contracts with ten solar plants; contracts for two solar plants to supply São Paulo and Goiás; and migrating 13 consumer units from ‘captive’ to ‘free market’.
GRI 302-1: Energy consumption within the organization
SASB TC-TL-130a.1: (1) Total energy consumed (2) percentage electricity (3) percentage renewable energy
12
12.2) By 2030, achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
12.5) By 2030, substantially reduce waste generated through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
12.6) Incentivize companies, especially majors and transnationals, to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability information in their reporting cycle.
12.8) By 2030, ensure that people at all sites are well-informed and aware of sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
Campaigns communicating programs for efficient use of natural resources, particularly initiatives with the socio-environmental engagement committee structuring actions for reuse, recycling, responsible consumption and other initiatives to reach our goals. Investing in renewable sources such as the photovoltaic plant and energy purchased in the incentivized market. Incentivizing the use of ethanol across the whole flex-vehicle fleet.
Solid waste management based on ISO 14001 and pertinent legal and regulatory requirements, Solid Waste Management Program (local acronym PGRS) lodged with municipal government, formal partnerships with legally authorized cooperatives, awareness campaigns and certified waste disposal.
Communication and awareness campaigns to inspire other companies (especially those in our relationship network), acting as multiplier for best practices. Aiming to become a benchmark company for the sector and for sustainability.
GRI 306-1: Waste generation and significant waste-related impacts
GRI 306-2: Management of significant waste-related impacts
GRI 306-3: Waste generated
GRI 306-4: Waste diverted from disposal
GRI 306-5: Waste directed to disposal
SASB TC-TL-440a.1.: (1) Materials recovered through send-back programs, percentage of recovered materials that were (2) reused, (3) recycled, and (4) landfilling
13
13.3) Improve education, heighten awareness and grow human and institutional capabilities to mitigate, adapt or reduce climate change impacts and early warnings.
Exert influence on partners through Supplier Relationship and Compliance Program. Develop a communication and training program for easily replicated sustainable practices to encourage attitudes favoring responsible citizenship and sustainability. In 2021, strengthen and sensitize attitudes in relation to climate and waste management through virtual meetings and training with franchisees and partners, in order to emphasize correct ways of storing materials generated from the operation and their disposal. Our Social-Environmental Engagement Committee consists of associates from all localities in which Algar Telecom operates and its purpose is to help mobilize the entire company by raising awareness around energy, water, and paper consumption; waste management; planting seedlings and other initiatives to foster knowledge and skills required for everyone to pursue sustainable development. There are projects and initiatives introduced more than 10 years ago that have led to significantly lower emissions since our first inventory in 2013.
GRI 102-12: External initiatives
GRI 102-13: Membership of associations
GRI 305-1: Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions
GRI 305-2: Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions
GRI 305-3: Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions
GRI 305-5: Reduction of GHG emissions
SDG
Algar Telecom’s SDG numbers
Actions toward reaching targets
GRI/SASB related indicators
8
8.2) Achieve higher levels of productivity from savings through diversification, technological modernization and innovation, including focus on high value-added sectors and labor-intensive sectors.
Invest heavily in technological modernization and innovation using audacious percentages of total annual CAPEX.
Press/media recognition of Algar Telecom’s success cases and awards for technological modernization and innovation.
GRI 201-1: Direct economic value generated and distributed
GRI 203-1: Investments in infrastructure and support for services
9
9.1) Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and cross-border infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, focusing on equitable and affordable access for everybody.
9.c) Significantly grow access to information and communication technologies and make every effort to provide universal and affordable internet access for less developed countries by 2020.
Annual legal compliance audit, in addition to commitment to develop high quality, reliable and sustainable infrastructure that cooperates for economic development and human well-being.
Monitoring specific indicators.
Monitoring specific indicators of access to technologies at affordable prices. Higher levels of access to technologies through the community - as well as programs leveraging the latter’s technological transformation - are intrinsic factors for Algar Telecom’s business, which is constantly committing to deliver the best quality infrastructure and customer services, thus supporting economic development and human well-being.
GRI 201-1: Directly generated and distributed economic value
GRI 203-1: Investments in infrastructure and support for services
16
16.5) Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all its forms.
16.b) Promote and enforce non-discriminatory sustainable development laws and policies.
16.7) Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision making at all levels.
Algar repudiates corruption and bribery by formally adhering to commitments and having its Integrity Channel (web) and Ombudsman channels constantly available to take non-discriminatory measures and ensure fairness across all its processes, as well as its code of conduct.
We emphasize respect for investors with transparency and disclosure of economic/financial data, ensuring that our data are checked and correctly following accounting rules.
Open-door policy that allows talents to talk to others at all hierarchical level; maintain formal committees for collegiate and inclusive decisions, especially the Associates Committee that represents everyone.
GRI 102-11: Precautionary principle or approach
GRI 102-16: Values, principles, rules and codes of conduct
GRI 102-17: Mechanisms for ethics related guidance and concerns
GRI 102-22: Composition of the highest-level instance of governance and its committees
GRI 205-1: Operations assessed for corruption related risks
GRI 205-3: Confirmed cases of corruption and measures taken
GRI 206-1: Legal actions - unfair competition, trust and monopoly practices
GRI 419-1: Non-compliance with socioeconomic laws and regulations
SASB TC-TL-520a.1: Total monetary losses arising from legal proceedings associated with regulations barring anti-competitive behavior.