In an era where sustainability and corporate social responsibility are at the forefront of business strategies, Grupo Menegotti stands out for its commitment to aligning its operations
with ESG guidelines (environmental, social, and governance). With clear objectives outlined in the “Sustainable Attitudes 2020” document and a vision directed towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the company positions itself as an advocate for building a more sustainable world. To better understand the Group’s stance, we spoke with CEO Pauline Menegotti, as follows.
ALEC: How does Grupo Menegotti understand the importance of commitment to sustainability for its sector and for society in general?
Pauline Menegotti: We understand that by adopting an ESG agenda, we are contributing to the construction of a better and more sustainable world, which is precisely our purpose. We are committed to making our brands and processes increasingly sustainable with environmental, social, and economic responsibility.
ALEC: What were the main challenges in incorporating ESG practices into the company’s daily operations?
Pauline Menegotti: We face several challenges, but I can list the three main ones. Finding a balance in the medium and long term between ESG concerns (environmental, social, and economic) and defining how they affect the company and related interest groups; managing the impact on society and identifying sustainable development opportunities to create shared value, and finally, fulfilling all commitments. Our objectives have been materialized in the “Sustainable Attitudes 2020” document and are guided by a voluntary work approach in linewith the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Our goal is to achieve maturity levels 4-5 in most of the sustainable dimensions applicable to the company by 2030. Every year we make progress, which leads us to believe that this result is indeed possible.
ALEC: What actions and investments are being made to ensure that the company reaches the desired level of maturity by 2030?
Pauline Menegotti: It is a set of actions. In the environmental pillar, we have premises such as giving purpose to 100% of the materials used and reducing waste throughout the production process. We will plant trees until 2030 to reduce the impact we have on the greenhouse effect, and since 2021, we have been reusing rainwater – with the aim of consuming less water in the production process of, for example, the concrete mixer. In the cafeteria, we distribute acrylic cups to replace disposable plastic ones; recently, we created our own garden, produce parts with recycled components, and replaced fluorescent and incandescent lamps with LED, resulting in a 70% energy saving. In the social pillar, we are committed to enabling 1% of the local construction community under construction, in addition to eliminating accidents.
We also have the goal of having areas within the company where women work, where we currently only have men, increasing the number of Menegotti leaders trained in-house. We want to implement the Citizen Company Program and take specific care for mothers. It is important to mention that 40% of young apprentices will be hired by the end of this year. We will also increase the participation of purchases in national inputs and from local suppliers, promoting the local economy. We encourage volunteering and, last but not least, care for physical and mental health, we have a facility in Jaraguá do Sul dedicated to sports activities available to the employee, their dependents, and also to the community. Our desire is to provide more and more activities and programs that serve to stimulate health care and physical activity. In the governance pillar, we aim to increase the annual net revenue generated through new products. We have already held Science and Innovation Fairs in the city, encouraging more people to have contact with technology – Industry 4.0, robots, and others. We are partners with universities and schools, and we have MENLAB within an educational institution promoting the development of future engineers. We allocate taxes to relevant social projects and provide internet to more people. Our code of ethics permeates all our relationships with clients, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and the community. We conduct campaigns on financial care, distributing safes for financial organization and awareness of the use of goods, as well as lectures and educational events on financial economics, the harms of smoking, a Sipat accident prevention week, among other topics. We implemented digital signatures that contributed to procedural agility, financial savings, and legal security. We also implemented committees to support the executive board in making strategic decisions.
ALEC: How does the contribution to the SDGs integrate into the company’s business strategy?
Pauline Menegotti: We have a strategic matrix that guides us through future challenges. We understand that ESG investment brings results in various business aspects – employee loyalty, customer awareness, community value, among others. Above all, it reflects the company’s purpose for future generations.
