Neoenergia S A : Believing that culture plays an essential role in building a more inclusive and healthy societ ...

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Illumination of the Cinco Pontas Fort (Recife-PE) was one of the initiatives of the Neoenergia Institute

Believing that culture plays an essential role in building a more inclusive and healthy society, and is an important way to promote citizenship, Neoenergia invests in this field, generating social and economic movement. The company traces initiatives focused on culture, which increase its local participation, move the economy, preserve traditional professions and strengthen the social role, boosting positive indicators.

"Corporations effectively have the power to transform a society with investments and actions that stimulate its development. We recognize the contribution of culture as a transforming agent in society and as an essential element to preserve identity. Therefore, we value historical and artistic heritage and encourage the promotion of Brazil's rich diversity through our projects,"says Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Neoenergia.

In the last four years alone, the company invested more than R$ 160 million in incentive resources in art and culture, with more than R$ 600 thousand in its own resources. In addition, it values projects aimed at capacity building and that stimulate cultural entrepreneurship. Last year, the Neoenergia Institute​​, in partnership with the Ekloos Institute, expanded the training to socio-cultural managers in a caravan of knowledge in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia and Pernambuco.

Neoenergia understands that the private initiative can contribute to this cultural preservation movement, which has been gaining more space and appreciation in the country. It is necessary to practice citizenship and optimize the use of taxes to generate a positive social impact, always in search of building the desired future. The world is changing every day and it is essential for the company to be part and protagonist of this change in different aspects: energy transition, economic growth, social development, and in all the fronts in which we operate.

"A little over a month ago, we entered into a partnership of extreme relevance for society, with BNDES and other large companies, focused on restoration projects of historical heritage, carried out from a national public call", highlights the executive.

The project, called Rescuing History, is adherent to the Neoenergia Institute's pillar of Art and Culture, and foresees collective financing with the presence of organizations. BNDES, in turn, can double or triple the amount chosen by each partner, depending on where it is carried out. Northeast, a region where Neoenergia has a strong presence, is considered strategic, and all investments will be tripled in any of its states.

Part of the strategy, this and all of the other partnerships established to foster the economic and cultural development of the locations where the company operates are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Agreed upon in the Global Compact, the SDGs are aimed at sustainable cities and communities, poverty eradication, quality education, quality work, and economic growth.

The path taken by the company allows it to follow new directions in pursuit of the goals it has set. The role goes far beyond the business: to generate, transmit, distribute, and trade the best energy, therefore it also reinforces the power of economic and social development and the reduction of inequalities, by investing in culture. This more sustainable model is in Neoenergia's purpose, which believes it is possible to combine profitability with value added to everyone.

"This plan is also in line with Iberdrola, our parent company, which invests in and promotes culture in all the countries where it operates. We are a globally engaged Group committed to promoting and supporting new forms of artistic expression and the rescue of historical heritage. In Brazil, we encourage the awareness of all the agents that make up the productive chain, and we want to be the force that drives the necessary change for the challenging scenario that society still faces. Knowing our power to create social and cultural responsibility projects motivates us to continue with this purpose", he concludes.

Inclusion, likewise, is in the company's goal. To this end, it constantly reviews its Human Resources processes, working in recruitment and selection to make selection processes more inclusive, training leaders for diversity management, and encouraging actions to empower and fight prejudice inside and outside the company. In this context, it seeks to support the construction of a fairer country that values culture.