At Climate Week 2024 in New York, Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro and car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz have expanded their existing partnership to launch the long-term ‘Corridor’ programme for sustainable development in the Amazon region. The aim of the programme is to promote positive impacts on people and nature in the Amazon region.
Cooperation with local organisations and NGOs
The programme is being implemented in collaboration with Brazilian NGOs such as IPAM, Imazon and CEA as well as the Boston Consulting Group. It focuses on the protection of human rights, income generation for local communities, the restoration of nature and the development of low-carbon value chains in the region.
The initiative uses Hydro's 244-kilometre bauxite slurry pipeline in Brazil, which runs through seven municipalities in the state of Pará, as an axis for various projects. The projects are identified together with the local communities living along the pipeline, which strengthens their involvement and commitment to the programme objectives.
Three pillars of the programme: Economy, quality of life and biodiversity
The first pillar of the programme is economic development in order to improve the conditions for nature-based value chains in the Amazon region. Secondly, the programme aims to improve the general quality of life of the inhabitants. Thirdly, the programme is dedicated to preserving biodiversity in the Amazon region in order to ensure positive impacts on nature and people. Measures are being taken to reduce forest degradation and contribute to the regeneration of nature in order to achieve long-term sustainable improvements.
“In managing our supply chains responsibly, we focus on three goals: Decarbonising our products, promoting human rights and focusing on greater sustainability throughout the vehicle life cycle. The joint Corridor programme manages to combine all three,” explains Gunnar Güthenke, Head of Purchasing and Supplier Quality at Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Long-term commitment to the region
Hydro has already invested in a number of social programmes in the region and is committed to improving the quality of life in Barcarena through initiatives in the areas of sanitation, environmental protection, education, sport, culture and economic development. The Corridor programme builds on these initiatives and leverages the extensive experience of NGOs in the Amazon region to increase the positive impact of the programme. The long-term commitment of Hydro and its partners to the region is expected to attract valuable brands such as Mercedes-Benz to contribute to the development of the area.
The programme, which is in line with Brazilian laws and regulations, will benefit approximately 8 percent of Pará's population. It will be implemented by a multi-institutional project organisation that includes companies and organisations such as Hydro Brazil, Alunorte, Mineração Paragominas (MPSA), Mercedes-Benz, IPAM, IMAZON, CEA, the Hydro Sustainability Fund and the Boston Consulting Group.