Impacts

Copel’s practices, actions and commitments reflect its focus on sustainable development and are aligned with strategic guidelines, mission, vision and corporate values.

Such practices are developed in the light of the Sustainability Policy, which extend to encouraging sustainable action also by suppliers and for the benefit of the community, whose relationship is based on transparency and legality.

Recognition of the quality of corporate governance adopted by Copel demonstrates that its guidelines are consolidated at a high level of performance and basis. The main positive impact of corporate governance for Copel is related to the solidity of its structure, which provides reliability to interested parties and security to shareholders.

The impacts of Copel’s activities are linked to the environmental, social and governance dimensions, which can be both positive and negative, and depend on studies carried out in prospecting for new businesses, in the implementation and operation of new ventures.

Thus, both in the implementation of new projects and in the operation of its projects, the Company follows the premises of the mitigation hierarchy, seeking to:

  • Avoid the generation of negative impacts, whenever possible;
  • Reduce or minimize negative impacts that cannot be avoided;
  • Recover, restore or develop corrective measures to the negative impacts caused;
    Compensate or mitigate negative impacts and enhance the positive impacts caused.

Environmental Dimension

The impacts are detailed in the environmental studies carried out in accordance with regulatory requirements and the results of which support the development of actions not only for mitigation, but for preservation or recovery, which condition the licensing process.

The main environmental impacts identified in the projects for the implementation of projects are related to land use, changes in biodiversity, changes in water availability, among others.

To mitigate the impacts, Copel monitors and carries out flora and fauna rescue; acts in the preservation and recovery of Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs); forest replacement; in the monitoring and archaeological rescue, among other actions.

The initiatives are mostly carried out in the implementation phase of the project, and may have consequences in the operation phase.

Once in operation, the impacts are of a different class, such as the generation of waste, the quality of air and water in the reservoirs and the emission of noise.

In order to reduce, mitigate and compensate for the impacts caused by the installations, Copel maintains a series of environmental programs aimed at identifying and monitoring the interferences of the Company’s processes, as well as of its suppliers and partners.

Examples of the mitigation hierarchy in the environmental dimension

Social Dimension

Copel, in the development of its activities, seeks to mitigate the negative impacts arising from operations and enhance the positive impacts, building alternatives together with the community and the public authorities to act in situations of social relevance and boost development in a responsible manner.

The implementation of new ventures generates jobs and revenues for the municipalities, as well as local development. However, situations that need mitigation or compensation are identified through social programs described in the basic environmental plans, in simplified environmental reports and in the reports detailing the environmental programs of each enterprise.

In addition to mandatory social programs in the context of environmental licensing, Copel develops other actions aimed at communities within the scope of corporate sustainability and in a corporate manner.

The continuous communication of the results obtained with the actions and programs for mitigating impacts allows the establishment of action strategies, identification of opportunities and the proposition of improvements.

Governance Dimension

The recognition of the quality of corporate governance adopted by Copel demonstrates that its guidelines are consolidated at a high level of performance and foundation. The main positive impact of corporate governance for Copel is the solidity of its structure, which provides reliability for stakeholders and security for shareholders.

The most sensitive impacts on the governance dimension are those related to senior management decision making and strategic planning, which can result in substantial loss of economic value, as well as those arising from fraud and corruption, which can cause financial losses, fines , sanctions and penalties by inspection bodies, with a consequent deterioration of the Company’s image.

In this sense, Copel has a robust corporate governance system, recognized externally and in accordance with the best market practices, based on the principles of transparency, equity, accountability and corporate responsibility, established in specific internal policy, in addition to complying with the requirements established for companies listed at Level 2 of Corporate Governance of B3, as well as complying with the provisions of Federal Law No. 6,604/1976 and CVM instruction 586/2017.

To avoid impacts of this order, the Company adopts a Code of Conduct, developed in line with Copel’s values ​​and the principles of the Global Compact and other commitments assumed, seeking to conduct itself permanently based on ethical principles, in addition to maintaining an Integrity Program under responsibility of the Risk and Compliance Department.