Human rights in the value chain is a material topic for Bracell encompassing monitoring and managing human rights compliance in Bracell’s operations. In people management, fostering an environment that supports diversity, inclusion and a sense of belonging for different identities and individual choices, and ensuring employee well-being, health and safety.

In 2023, Bracell announced its set of long-term sustainability targets and commitments titled “Bracell 2030”, which includes specific Empowering Lives targets:

Promoting equal opportunities for women

Fostering an inclusive work environment  for diversity groups

In 2023 we published a Human Resources Policy that formalizes Bracell’s commitment to sustainable development and best practices that positively impact people and communities. The Policy requires that Bracell respect the dignity and human rights of its employees, contractors, and subcontractors, as well as the rights of indigenous peoples and local and traditional communities. It establishes guidelines on business conduct and on managing human rights impacts, ensuring we deliver on our commitment to maintaining sound labor practices and decent working conditions.

Bracell’s internal labor policies are aligned with international certification requirements and Brazilian laws and regulations, in particular the Regulatory Standards (NRs) of the Ministry of Labor and Employment. The official channels available for handling human rights-related reports, grievances and concerns are amply communicated (read more in GRI 2-25).

Corporate policies—including our Code of Conduct, Procurement Ethics Code, Human Rights Policy, Sustainability Policy and Pulpwood and Fiber Sourcing Policy—provide guidance to stakeholders on mitigating human rights risks and impacts and govern our contracts with suppliers and contractors. These policies support us in mitigating risks related to child labor and forced and slave labor in our value chain, and ensuring compliance with labor, child and adolescent rights.

We also continuously monitor the areas surrounding our eucalyptus plantations to protect human rights in neighboring communities, as part of our pulpwood traceability process.

With the commissioning of our two flexible lines at our Lençóis Paulista (SP) site, we have expanded our forestry operations in the region and some local residents on a particular property have been resettled as a result.

This process is managed in compliance with International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standard 5 – Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement. Within this front, Bracell also manages and works to prevent and/or mitigate the social risks to which workers and their families may be exposed.

Every six months on average, Bracell undergoes an independent audit on compliance with social and environmental standards, including the IFC Performance Standards.

To minimize actual impacts on communities surrounding the mill, we use an approach that includes community mapping, advertising official communication channels, and managing and addressing community concerns.

Bracell also actively manages and works to prevent and/or promptly mitigate the social risks to which workers and their families may be exposed.

The Company’s internal regulations comply with international certifications and Brazilian legislation, in particular the Regulatory Standards (NRs) of the Ministry of Labor and Employment. We also publicize our official channels for receiving reports, complaints and concerns (learn more at Disclosures GRI 2-25).

In 2023, with Bracell 2030, we will drive our planning and actions focused on the theme of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), with the goal of reaching 30% of women in leadership positions by 2030 (read more in GRI Content 2-22). We have also developed structured actions to drive the agenda in the Company with the Diversity and Inclusion Journey, which is based on the pillars of Gender and PwD in the São Paulo and Bahia units, as well as Race and LGBTQIAPN+ in Bahia; and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in promoting the agenda in the Company through training and fostering employee engagement on the topic.

In São Paulo, a training session on D&I was held focused on employees in the Human Resources area and also on members of affinity groups. In Bahia, our journey stood out by receiving two commitment seals related to LGBT diversity and the renewal of the ethnic-racial commitment. In addition, throughout the year we promote training for all levels of leadership, Safety Dialogue (DDS) in the areas, internal and external events, and Bracell’s first diversity week.

Bracell is also a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a UN Global Compact and UN Women initiative providing guidance on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community. We also provide thought leadership on this agenda within trade associations.

Gender equity survey

In 2023, we conducted an internal survey targeting women and leaders on gender equality in São Paulo, seeking to understand employees’ perceptions of the work environment. Based on the responses, we based the construction of a Diversity & Inclusion Journey, to actively listen to women regarding the insertion of women in the sector’s job market, and a training agenda on the subject.

Rede Mulher Florestal (“Women in Forestry Network”)

In 2023, we joined and assumed the vice presidency of Rede Mulher Florestal, and began responding to the organization’s survey questionnaire on the presence of women in the forestry industry. The initiative is also collecting diversity data beyond gender, such as race and people with disabilities.

Our participation in the initiative illustrates Bracell’s commitment to promoting and leading gender diversity efforts in the forestry sector.

Composition of Bracell’s senior leadership team by gender

Bracell’s senior leadership team comprises executives holding senior management and executive positions, including managing director, director and senior director positions (senior director is the equivalent of president within the RGE group of companies).

In 2023, 3 women (all senior managers) and 40 men (12 directors and 28 senior managers) integrated Bracell’s senior leadership. Based on the total number of Bracell high level leadership by gender and role in 2023, women held 7% of senior leadership positions.

Based on the total number of Bracell medium level leadership by gender and role, in 2023 women held 29% of medium level leadership positions.

Based on the total number of all Bracell leadership, women held 26.4% of the positions, a total of 93 women on leadership.

Employees by leadership level and gender in 2023
Position	Bahia		São Paulo		Total
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
Director¹	2	0	10	0	12	0
Senior Manager	4	2	24	1	28	3
Manager	30	11	49	24	79	35
Coordinator	54	17	86	38	140	55
Total	90	30	169	63	259	93
Employees by leadership level and gender in 2023
Position	Bahia		São Paulo		Total
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
Director¹	100%	0%	100%	0%	100%	0%
Senior Manager	67%	33%	96%	4%	90%	9.7%
Manager	73%	27%	67%	33%	69%	30.7%
Coordinator	75%	25%	69%	31%	71%	28.6%
Total	75%	25%	73%	27%	74%	26%

¹ Including the positions of president, director, head and vice president.

Note: For the Bracell 2030 target of promoting equal opportunities for women and achieving 30% of women in leadership positions, coordination positions and above are taken into account.

Employees by gender and position in 2023
Position	Bahia		São Paulo		Total
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
Executive Management¹	2	0	10	0	12	0
Senior Management	4	2	24	1	28	3
Middle Management	30	11	49	24	79	35
Coordinators	54	18	86	38	140	56
Specialists	45	8	80	32	125	40
Technicians/Supervisors	115	25	644	76	759	101
Administrative	145	192	370	307	515	499
Operational	1031	210	3219	500	4250	710
Trainees	8	4	19	8	27	12
Total	1.434	470	4.501	986	5.935	1.456
Employees by gender and position in 2023 (%)
Position	Bahia		São Paulo		Total
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
Executive Management¹	100%	0%	100%	0%	100%	0%
Senior Management	67%	33%	96%	4%	90%	10%
Middle Management	73%	27%	67%	33%	69%	31%
Coordinators	75%	25%	69%	31%	71%	29%
Specialists	85%	15%	71%	29%	76%	24%
Technicians/Supervisors	82%	18%	89%	11%	88%	12%
Administrative	43%	57%	55%	45%	51%	49%
Operational	83%	17%	87%	13%	86%	14%
Trainees	67%	33%	70%	30%	69%	31%
Total	75%	25%	82%	18%	80%	20%
¹ Including the positions of president, director, head and vice president.

 

Employees by position and age group in 2023
Position	Under 30	30 to 50	Over 50	Total
Executive Management¹	0	4	8	12
Senior Management	0	22	9	31
Middle Management	1	100	13	114
Coordinators	4	172	20	196
Specialists	12	137	16	165
Technicians/Supervisors	175	605	80	860
Administrative	371	597	46	1.014
Operational	1.073	3.287	600	4.960
Trainees	38	1	0	39
Total by age	1.674	4.925	792	7.391
Employees by position and age group in 2023
Position	Under 30	30 to 50	Over 50	Total
Executive Management¹	0%	33%	67%	100%
Senior Management	0%	71%	29%	100%
Middle Management	1%	88%	11%	100%
Coordinators	2%	88%	10%	100%
Specialists	7%	83%	10%	100%
Technicians/Supervisors	20%	70%	9%	100%
Administrative	37%	59%	5%	100%
Operational	22%	66%	12%	100%
Trainees	97%	3%	0%	100%
Total by age	23%	67%	11%	100%
¹ Including the positions of president, director, head and vice president. Note: regarding the percentage by age, in 2023, 67% of Bracell employees are between 30 and 50 years old; 23% are under 30 years old and 11% are over 50 years old.

 

Employees by region and gender
Operation	2021			2022			2023
	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women	Total	Men	Women	Total
São Paulo	2.592	523	3.115	3.412	715	4.127	4.501	986	5.487
Bahia	1.235	356	1.591	1.342	436	1.778	1.434	470	1.904
Total	3.827	879	4.706	4.754	1.151	5.905	5.935	1.456	7.391

Note: The total number of employees in 2022 differs from the result published in the 2022 Sustainability Report because it does not take into account data on own employees of the Mato Grosso do Sul operations (total of 392 own employees, 310 men and 82 women). In 2023, the Mato Grosso do Sul operations became part of the MS Florestal company, part of the RGE group, so they ceased to be part of Bracell’s operations in 2023.

Employees by region and gender (%)
Operation	2021		2022		2023
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
São Paulo	83%	17%	83%	17%	82%	18%
Bahia	78%	22%	75%	25%	75%	25%
Total	81%	19%	81%	19%	80%	20%

 

In regards to salary equity, Bracell considers the sope and activities of each position as a basis, without gender discrimination. For reasons of confidentiality, the Company does not disclose salaries or the relationship between salaries of its employees.