CHG-MERIDIAN implements carbon-neutral lease model at São Martinho S.A. in Brazil
5,000 devices in a circular model
The Brazilian São Martinho group of companies is one of the world’s leading sugar cane processors. São Martinho is committed to sustainable principles in production, corporate governance, and its relationships with external service providers. In CHG-MERIDIAN, the group has found a like-minded partner who puts sustainability at the heart of its corporate strategy.
São Martinho has four plants employing a total of 12,600 people in the federal states of São Paulo and Goiás, and its harvest mechanization rate of 100 percent has set a benchmark in the industry. Cultivating 350,000 hectares of arable land and handling up to 24.5 million tonnes of sugar cane require a high degree of efficiency. Keeping as small an environmental footprint as possible also requires a rigorous sustainability strategy. São Martinho is very aware of this responsibility and attaches great importance to environmental protection. It does this by directioning efforts to three main ESG pillars, which are Innovation & Efficiency, Value Chain, and Social Transformation São Martinho seeks to select, evaluate, and monitor its suppliers in accordance with sustainable practices. It also encourages them to act sustainably, valuing best socio-environmental and corporate governance practice, in addition to the price aspects of the goods or service in question.The lease model from CHG-MERIDIAN ensures that technical equipment is sustainable.
“Innovative products like carbonZER0® and CHG-MERIDIAN’s EcoVadis certification are proof that we have found a partner that sets high standards for its sustainable portfolio and supply chain.”
Giving IT equipment a second life
São Martinho's purchasing strategies are in continous development in line with the ESG pillars. The lease model established with CHG-MERIDIAN is considered as an important achievement of the company's sustainability agenda.
CHG-MERIDIAN supplied São Martinho with high-quality laptops and workstations for several thousand employees. The technology and finance expert handled the one-off delivery of the devices, and made a comprehensive IT management system available where the technical equipment, the associated users, the lease terms, and the maintenance and repair requirements are stored. Thanks to this comprehensive system, contract managers at São Martinho have access to fully functional devices at all times, save money on operating and maintaining them, and can see a device’s status at any time.
"Thanks to CHG-MERIDIAN and carbonZER0®, we find new ways to integrate sustainability in our value chain", says Cristina Navarro, Procurement Manager at São Martinho.
An optimized carbon footprint
Financed by CHG-MERIDIAN and supplied by a partner computer distribution company, high-quality laptops and workstations are part of São Martinho's conscious actions. The lease contract included the carbonZER0® certificate, a CHG-MERIDIAN product that enables carbon-neutral leasing. It offsets the carbon emissions generated during the manufacture, transportation, and use of the devices. The associated emissions are offset throuhg investments in internationally recognized climate change mitigation projects, which CHG-MERIDIAN selected based on the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs).
"Innovative products like carbonZER0® and CHG-MERIDIAN's EcoVadis certification meet São Martinho's high standards for its sustainable portfolio”, says Oscar Paulino, Sustainability Manager at São Martinho.
