By Mario Ruiz-Tagle*
The
pandemic brought us many lessons, accelerating processes of change and
innovation, both in technologies and in relation to society. We need to
reinforce the understanding that companies must have a social commitment beyond
their core business. From initiatives in favor of society, such as the
generation of quality jobs, robust investments, economic and sustainable
development, promotion of diversity and social responsibility, besides several
other relevant actions for the country and the world, we can position ourselves
as protagonists of social transformation. This is what we cultivate, for
example, at Neoenergia, where we have more than 38 thousand direct employees,
including our own and outsourced, and more than 100 thousand indirect employees
all over the country. The commitment to our more than 15 million customers,
society, and shareholders is translated not only into our business, but also
through social actions and good practices cultivated throughout our trajectory.
We have a
bold investment plan for the coming years. In 2021 alone we will invest
approximately R$10 billion in the expansion of our networks, in the quality of
service, in new transmission lines, and in the construction of wind farms and
photovoltaic plants. In this context, diversity is one of the most important
paths, and consequently inclusion, democratization, equality, and equity are
our priorities when we talk about opportunities. The incentives to these themes
and to respect differences are based on our daily actions, such as the
Diversity Program we conduct, aiming at a more inclusive, diverse, empowering,
and prejudice-fighting work environment.
Moreover,
to reinforce our commitment to the UN's Agenda 2030, especially the Sustainable
Development Goals, among them SDG 5, which deals with Gender Equality, we have
just announced an unprecedented support program for women's sports, exclusive
to the Brazilian Women's Soccer Team. We are the first company to exclusively
support the women's national team and the Brazilian Championship for these
athletes, which is now called "Neoenergia Women's Brasileirão".
We know a
lot about electrical grids and power transmission, and now we are drawing
another invisible but equally strong network to unite all those who contribute
to the advancement of equality in an area as impactful as sport. We share with
these players the same values such as effort, overcoming, professionalism, and
teamwork. We believe in equality in all fields. It is a basic right and one of
the essential foundations for building a fairer and more prosperous world for
all.
The
initiative reflects the support and promotion of transformations to move
towards the ideal of society we seek, encouraging empowerment and autonomy to
all groups. These are principles that guide the company, and gender equity is
an essential part of our path. Diversity is encouraged and promoted among
Neoenergia's employees. Today, 43% of our corporate teams are composed of
women, and in the Executive Office, they represent 44%.
In an
industry still predominantly represented by men, our ESG practices represent
what drives us to be better every day, as a company and as change agents.
Through the Neoenergia Institute, we conduct projects such as the Women's Impactô
- which trains NGO leaders throughout Brazil, enabling the continuity of impact
projects and businesses, and the Inspirar (Inspire) Award - recognition
focused on cultural and artistic initiatives led by women in communities in Rio
de Janeiro and Pernambuco. In the states where our distributors are located, we
created the Electricians' School, a stimulus for female participation with
classes exclusively for training female electricians, and with the challenge of
reducing the male predominance in the profession. The project was recognized by
WeEmpower, a program of UN Women together with the International Labor
Organization (ILO) and the European Union to stimulate good practices in
companies. We know that training and financial independence are one of the main
forms of empowerment and, therefore, promoting equal conditions in the access
to the labor market is essential.
It is
important to emphasize that these actions are not only aimed at creating
momentary opportunities, but rather at consolidating a principle of the company
that seeks to be increasingly diverse, inclusive, and capable of attracting and
retaining the best talent. We believe in more inclusive selection processes, in
the development of leaders who are aware of diversity, in actions for
empowerment, and in fighting prejudice.
Neoenergia's
Equal Opportunity and Conciliation Policy does not allow for discrimination on
the basis of race, color, age, gender, marital status, ideology, political
opinions, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or any other personal,
physical or social condition among professionals. To build this culture, it is
fundamental that the company explores and discusses the topic freely and
appropriately among employees. The internal audience is our main thermometer in
this process. It is up to the organizations to inform, clarify, raise
awareness, and allow them to feel comfortable to be who they are, with freedom
and welcome.
We have a
duty to embrace differences, to understand that they contribute to our
evolution, and that promoting an inclusive and diverse environment benefits the
entire corporate ecosystem. Generating opportunities in an inclusive way is,
without a doubt, what we want for our country. At Neoenergia, I can say that
this is one of our priorities, as well as the expressive investments for energy
transition and clean energy growth. Together we are able to transform our
environment and inspire other agents to contribute even more to achieve what
the world longs for.
*Article written by Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Neoenergia