News
Veracel turns 13 - 07.20.04
Veracel celebrated its 13th anniversary on July 15 and there are plenty of reasons to celebrate such an important date: construction of its pulp mill continues to go forward at a fast clip.
In the forestry area, a highlight has been the production of 19 million eucalyptus seedlings in 2003 alone as well as the planting of 16,000 hectares, raising the total area planted to some 70,000 ha, which ensures raw material supply for the mill startup.
At the same time, Environmental Certification under ISO 14001 was obtained in June 2003, confirming the company’s use of the best forestry management and sustainable production practices. For 2004, the goal is to work toward obtaining certification through the Brazilian National Forest Certification Program (CERFLOR), a domestic benchmark in terms of voluntary environmental certification that should be earned by mid-2005.
Recently, Veracel joined the Global Compact, a UN accord under which a company assumes the commitment to comply with important social and environmental questions.
It also is important to note Veracel’s importance for the social and economic development of the nine municipalities where it has its operations. For example, in the field of social work the company’s activities continue to expand through the inauguration of the Being a Child project in Barrolândia and another nine units in Cabrália, Baianão, Canavieiras and Guaratinga.
Moreover, a number of important social activities were run during the past year in partnership with the nine municipalities and the government of the state of Bahia, such as support for the reopening of the Itagimirim Hospital in Cabrália. Support also was provided to public safety in Barrolândia and Itapebi with construction of police barracks and the reform and expansion of federal and local police stations.
Click here to learn more about the history of Veracel