SustainabilityinBrazil

Ashortoverviewandpossiblesolutions

Content

1. Sustainability
1

1.1.

Adefinition

2. TheBraziliantruth
2.1. Existingproblems
2.2. Existingsolutions
2.3. SocialResponsibilityinsideorganizations

3. Comparisontoothercountries

3.1. Argentina
3.2. Germany

4. Potentialsolutionandoutlook

5. Sources

1.Sustainability

1.1ADefinition
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Sustainabilityismostoftendefinedasageneralworldviewaccordingtowhichpeopleshouldstrive
tofulfiltheirneedsinamannersuchthattheabilityoffuturegenerationstofulfiltheirneedsisnot
endangered.Thisdefinitioncontainstwokeyconcepts.Thefirstisassociatedtotheneeds,
meaningtheessentialneedsoftheworld'spoorpopulationandsecondlytheideaoflimitations
imposedbythestateoftechnologyandsocialorganizationontheenvironments'abilitytomeet
presentandfutureneeds.
AlthoughthisdefinitioncomesfromtheUnitedNations,manypeopleassociatetheterm
sustainabledevelopmentwithanoxymoron.Howcandevelopment,havinginmindtheincreasing
populationandwastefulconsumptionbesustainableandpreservingatthesametimethe
environmentforfuturegenerations?Thatiswhyinordertobeingabletofurtherspecify
sustainabledevelopment,theremustbereachedconsensusoverageneraldefinitionandactions,
whichuntilnow,areopentoanycountrytodefineforitsown.

Nevertheless,theUnitedNationsagreedupontherequirementsconcerningsustainable
development.Thisstrategyaimsatpromotingharmonyamongsthumanbeingsaswellasbetween
natureandhumanity.Furthermoretherequirementsweredefinedasfollows:

apoliticalsystemthatsecureseffectivecitizenparticipationindecisionmaking.
aneconomicsystemthatisabletogeneratesurplusesandtechnicalknowledgeona
selfreliantandsustainedbasis
asocialsystemthatprovidesforsolutionsforthetensionsarisingfromdisharmonious
development.
aproductionsystemthatrespectstheobligationtopreservetheecologicalbasefor
development,
atechnologicalsystemthatcansearchcontinuouslyfornewsolutions,
aninternationalsystemthatfosterssustainablepatternsoftradeandfinance,and
anadministrativesystemthatisflexibleandhasthecapacityforselfcorrection.

Summarizingonecandescribesustainabilityasasimpleprincipleyetcomplextoimplement.
Everythingthathumansneedfortheirsurvivalandwellbeingdepends,eitherdirectlyorindirectly,
onthenaturalenvironment.Becauseofthat,conceptofsustainabilitycentersonabalanceof
society,economyandenvironmentforcurrentandfuturehealth.Responsibleresource
managementinallthreeareasensuresthatfuturegenerationswillhavetheresourcestheyneed
to,inorderforthemtobeabletosurviveandthrive.

Sustainabilityisimportantinmakingsurethatwehaveandwillcontinuetohavethewater,
materials,andresourcestoprotectnotonlyhumanitybutalsoourenvironmentforfuture
generations.Thetermsustainability,whenappliedattheinstitutionallevel,suchasforexample
atacollege,referstothedevelopmentofasystemofprogramsandprocessesthatworkinorder
tocreateandfosteracampuseconomyandhighqualityoflifewhilerespectingtheneedtosustain
naturalresourcesandprotecttheenvironment.Sustainableprogramsarethosethatresultfroman
institutionscommitmenttoenvironmental,socialandeconomichealth.Thisiscalledthetriple
bottomline".Theillustrationbelowshowshowthesethreespheresofsustainabilityinteractwith
oneanother,aswellasdemonstrateswhatcanbeassociatedwitheachandeveryoneofthem..

Butjustbecausesustainabilityhasbeendefinedandpeopledoknowwhatisconnectedtoit,that
file:///C:/Users/ddawid/Downloads/Sustainability.doc.docx
doesnotmean,thattheireverydaylife,
northegovernmentsactionsarebeingdrivenbythethoughtoffosteringsustainability.The
followingchaptersaimtodrawapictureofthesituationofsustainabilityandgreenlivinginBrazil
andcomparethissituationtoGermanyandArgentina.

2.TheBraziliantruth

AlthoughBraziliansseemtobeleadersregardingtheirattitude,theyareatthesametimelaggards
intermsofgreenbehaviour.Thecountryhasthecleanestenergymatrixandisoneofthefew
countrieswhomanagedtogetclosetomeetingtheGHGemissionstargetsagreedattheCOP15
meeting.
T
hepublicisalsoawareofthepollution

takingplaceintheirowncountry.90%perceive
airpollution,climatechange,biodiversitylossorwateravailabilityasveryseriousproblemsat
least30percentagepointsmorethantheinternationalaverage.Butwhenitcomestoaction,the
Brazilianpopulationmerelyrealizeswhatshouldbedone.

Sevenin10adultsmixupbatteriesand
ewasteintheresidencegarbage,andanoverwhelmingmajoritystillreliesonfree
nonbiodegradableplasticbagswhenshoppingatthesupermarket.Inthefollowingchapters,the
existingproblems,feasiblesolutionsandacomparisontoothercountrieswillbepresented.
Inthe
end,solutionswillbeproposedandanoutlookwillbeshowed.

2.1Existingproblems

AsmarvelousBrazilasacountryis,itisholderofoneofthebiggestamountofnaturalresources
worldwide,andbythatmanyproblemsseemtoraisemaintaininganddealingwiththemina
sustainableway.
SincePresidentGetlioVargasperiodofofficeeconomyhasbeenraisingrapidly,turningBrazil
intoadevelopingcountry.Nonetheless,thishasnotcomewithoutbigsacrifice,especially
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regardingBrazilsnatureandnaturalresources.

Environmentalandsustainableissuesareamongothers:
airandwaterpollutionduetogrowingurbanizationandindustrialization
deforestationandtheextinctionofuncountablespeciesduetothat
landdegradationandwaterpollutionduetominingandoildrillingactivities
waste
inefficiencyinresourcemanagement

Airandwaterpollutionduetogrowingurbanizationandindustrialization

EspeciallyBrazilsurbanareas(SoPaulo,RiodeJaneiroandmoststatecapitals)sufferfrom
highairpollutionlevelscausedby
thehighnumberofautomobilesandthelevelofindustrialization,
whichhaveanimportantimpactonhealth.
Statisticsshow,thataround
5%oftotalannualdeathsintheagegroupsofchildrenagefiveand
youngerandadultsage65andolderwereattributedtoairpollutionlevelsinBrazilscities.Riode
JaneiroandSoPaulowererankedthe12thand17thmostpollutedcitiesinanevaluationbased
onWorldBankandUnitedNationsdataofemissionsandairqualityin18megacities.

Brazilhasthegreatestavailabilityofwaterintheworld,with14percentofthesurface
watersandtheequivalenttotheannualflowinundergroundaquifiers.Eventhoughbeingblessed
withsuchahighquantity,watermanagementinBrazilispoor.Around80percentofallhuman
sewegewatersflowdirectlyintoriversandoceanwithoutbeingtreatedinanyway.
Alotofindustrysewegeandwastecomealongaswellasleakinglandfillswhichleadstoareally
poorwaterqualityinurbanregionsandevenwaterscarcityintheSouthandSoutheastregionsof
Brazil.
OneexampletoshowtheheavinessofpollutionisRiodeJaneiro.Everyday465tonsofdomestic
sewege,excrementandpoisonflowintothebayofGuanabara.Theindustryadditions64tonsof
oil,heavymetalsandtoxicarrearstothatdaily.Lastbutnotleastthepollutionisaugmentedby9
tonsofoilresiduesfromRiosgasstationseveryday.
WhatmakesitevenworsetheGuanabarabayisafragilemangroveecosystemwhereonce
walesanddolphinscouldbefoundinsteadofdeepblackwater.Oftheonceexisting260sqkm
mangroveforestsonly80areremainingtodaywithafasttendencytodisappearcompletely.

Anotherissueisthepollutionofriversbyfertilizers,herbicidesandotherchemicalsfrom
sugarcane,soyandcottonfarms.EspeciallystruckarethePantanalwatersinMatoGrossodoSul.

Deforestation

Deforestationistheprocesswherebynaturalforestsareclearedthroughloggingand/orburning,
eithertousethetimberortoreplacetheareaforalternativeuses.(WWF)

Sadly,Brazilasrenownedforitsforestsasitisdestroyingthem.Probablymostknownisthe
worldrenownedAmazonRainforestanditssurroundingbasin.
Hometoanunparalleledbiodiversity,withoverhalfoftheplanet'sremainingrainforestsandan
estimated16,000speciesoftreesandonetenthoftheworldsanimalspecies,theAmazonis
victimtotheworldslargestdeforestationrateduetomarketforces(mostlywoodandagriculture),
populationpressureandinfrastructureadvances(e.g.theunsuccesfultransamaznica).
Everyminute,vastproportionsoftheseforestswhicharealsoknownastheLungsoftheWorld
for20%oftheworldsoxygenthattheyproduce,arebeingtorndownwhichmakesatotalof
around100,000sqkmofforestfelledeachyear.
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ButnotonlytheAmazonbasinsuffers.TheAtlanticrainforestisnowdownto7%ofitsoriginal
area.ThePantanalwetlandsalsofaceseriousthreats,includingtherapidspreadofintensivesoy,
cottonandsugarcanefarmingonBrazilscenterplains,whicharethesourceofmostofthe
Pantanalswater.

Landdegradationandwaterpollutionduetominingandoildrillingactivities

OneofBrazilsenergysuppliersiscoal.ItisgainsfromthecoalminingregionintheSouth(mostly
SantaCatarinaandRioGrandedoSul).
Oneofthebiggestenvironmentalthreatsrelatedtocoalminingisposedbywastedisposal,as
tenserainscontributetotheseepageofminingwastedepositsintothegroundwatersupplyand
carryingtheaciddrainageintothenearbyriversandstreams.
ThisiswhyminingistheprincipalcauseofwaterpollutioninthestateofSantaCatarina.

Anotherproblemcausedbyminingissoildegradation.Coalminingrequiresdeforestationand
vegetationremovalinthefirstplace.Combinedwithimproperwastedisposalerosionand
instabilityofriverandstreamslopesisincreasedcausingsoildegradation.Inaddition,thousands
ofhectaresoflandaremadeinfertileandunusableforagricultureandotherfarmingactivities.As
regulationsandlawsinBrazilareloose,thereisahigherimpactontheenvironmentandalarger
naturaldamagethaninothercountries.

Both,landdegradationandwaterpollutionalsooccurbecauseofoildrilling.Someoftheworld's
mostpromisingoilandgasdepositsliedeepintropicalrainforests,especiallyintheWestern
AmazonaswellasatBrazilscoastin7000metersdeepness.WhiletheEuropeanUnionhas
forbiddenoffshoredrillingalongtimeagoandevenagainstthebackgroundofthedisasterinthe
GolfofMexicoBrazilstillkeepsupwithitsplanstogainthisoil,whichisalsoknownasPreSal
(becauseofthesedimentsthathavetobepassedtoobtaintheoil).AsPetrobrasisthe
responsibleentityinthisoperation,criticismisnotwellseenandalmostconsideredas
counternationalblasphemy.

Waste

EverydayBrazilproducesaround100,000tonsofdomesticwaste,ofwhichonlyaround10%are
storedincontrolledanadequatewastelandfills.
WhilelandfillsareoftenviewedasthelastoptionforwastedisposalinEuropeannations,
preferringwastetoenergysystemsinstead,Brazilfavorslandfillsandbelievestheyareefficient
modesofdisposal.Thepreferenceforlandfillshashinderedthecreationofalternativemethodsof
wastedisposal.
Despitethehighnumberofwasteproducedeveryday,recyclinginBrazilislow.Outofthewaste
amount,only2%isrecycledwiththeremainderdumpedinlandfills.
Inadditiontothataround3,000,000tonsofspecialwasteisproducedyearlyinBrazil.Thisspecial
wasteisstoredwithoutanytreatmentintheopenwhichposesabigriskforbothhumanand
nature.InentireBrazil,only62%ofthepopulationhasaccesstothegarbagecollection,making
therestofthegarbagedisappearinrivers,oceanandunknownlandfills.Theimpactonnaturedue
tothisgarbagebehaviourisobvious.

Inefficiencyinresourcemanagement

AlltheexamplesdevelopedaboveshowBrazilspoorresourcemanagement.
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AnotherexamplethatcanbeaddedhereisSaoPaulospublictransportation.Asnotedinclass,
thereareonlyveryfewpeoplesupervisingandplanningthesystem,leavingitinefficientandnot
convenientforPaulistastouse.YoucanfindcorrespondingsituationsinotherBraziliancapitals
andbigcities.
Moreover,lawsandregulations,ifthereareany,areweakandnotcontrolled,leaving
deforestation,pollutionetc.continue.

2.2.Existingsolutions

NaturaCosmticosS.A.isaBrazilianmanufacturerandmarketerofbeautyproducts,personal
care,skincare,perfumesandcosmeticsproducts.Thiscompanysellsproductsthrough
representativesinmanycountriesacrosstheworld.

Oneofthebrandsbiggestdifferentialsisitsconcernaboutsustainabilityandsocial
responsivenesswhichresultsinNaturasresponsiblemanagement.Allpackagesusedinthe
productioncyclearemadeofbiodegradablematerialswhicharenotharmfulfortheenvironment.
Alsodeepsocioenvironmentalstudiesofallsuppliersareconductedtoensurethattheproductis
sustainablealongtheentireproductionchain.
ForsixyearsnowNaturahasbeenelectedleaderandtheTopofMindinthecategory
sustainabilitybytheInstitutodePesquisaIPSOS.

PodeAucarisoneofBrazilsbiggestandmostknownsupermarketchains.Forover60years
GrupoPodeAcarhasbeeninvestinginimprovingthequalityoflifeandthedailyhabits,as
wellasconsciousconsumption.
Recentlythechainhasstartedarecyclingactiontoshowtheirinterestinthegreenfuturethe
GreenBox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjhUeL6_vkw

Melhordeixarnocaixaoquevocnovaiusar

TheGreenBoxislocatedineverystoreandallowscustomerstodisposetheirpackagesthey
considerunnecessaryrightaway.Insteadoftakingpackaginghomeandthrowingitinaregular
wastebin,theGreenBoxguaranteesrecyclingofthese.
OtherPodeAcarinitiativesincludee.g.encouragingcustomerstousereturnablebagsaswell
asahigherofferingoforganic,sustainableandnaturalproducts.
Alsoselection,employmentandtrainingofpersonnelalwayshappensinthemeanstogain
sustainability.

PreciousWoodsiscommittedtothelabelofthenonprofitorganisationForestStewardship
Council(FSC).TheFSClogoguaranteeshigheststandardsinforestmanagementaccordingto
environmental,socialandeconomicstandards.Thecompanyisprovidinganimportantcontribution
tostopoverexploitationofforestsinSouthAmericaandAfrica.Theaimofthecompanyisto
demonstrateecologicallyandsociallyresponsibletropicalforestmanagementpracticesandto
provetheireconomicprofitabilityinthelongterm.Sustainableforestryheremeanstoutilizenatural
timberregrowthinaharvestcycleof25years,withoutimpactingtheforestsubstancequalitatively
orquantitatively.(PreciousWoods)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyfAWuJMSBA

AnothergoodexampleofsustainablemovementsinBrazilisParanscapitalCuritiba,alsoknown
asBrazil'secologicalcapitalwhichhasaccomplishedtodealinaproperwaywithlocalaffairseven
intimesofeconomicalcrisis.
JamieLerner,Curitibasexdeputymayor,architectandaclosefriendofNiemeyer,sharesthe
recipeofsuccessinaninterview:
Thesecretliesinmodestyandtheavoidanceofwaste.Tenyearsagoourwastedisposalcould
notkeepupwiththewasteanymore.Expertsadvisedustobuywasteincineratorplantswhichwe
couldnotaffordanddeptwasoutofquestion.Insteadwewenttoschoolsandfavelas.Wealready
taughttheyoungestthatitisalwaysbettertoseparateandthendisposerecyclable,nonrecyclable
andorganicwaste.Nowwehaveanenvironmentalaffiliatepeopleandmanypeople,whoearna
littlemoneybecauseofthisawareness.
Informertimes,Curitibausedtodrownaftereverytropicalstorm.Themunicipalitysolvedthis
problemnotbysettingtheriversinconcretebutbyparksandreservoirsaroundthecity.Within20
yearsCuritibasgreenlunghasbeenmultipliedby100withtheresultthatitisBrazilgreenestcity
bytoday.
AlsoCuritibastrafficconcepthasbeenrenewed.Asthestreetcarhasbeenabolishedinthe50ties
duetoprogressandanundergroundwaswaytoexpensive,thebussystemhasbeen
overthougtDeandimproved.Accurateanalysishasbeenconducted,leadingtoanewconceptof
transportation.30%ofCuritibascardriversswitchedtopublictransportationtogettoworkand
meanwhilethofCuritibaspopulationisusingtheservicesofpublictransportationsothat25%
lessfuelisspendinCuritibacomparedtoSaoPauloorRiodeJaneiro.
InnootherLatinAmericancityonecanfindsomanycyclistslikeinCuritiba.Itisplannedtomove
1/5thoftheindividualtransporttothebike.100kmofbikewayshavebeeninstalledallthrough
Curitibaandtheyarestillextending.Alsocompaniesgetcheapcreditswhenbuyingbikesfortheir
employeesinsteadofreimbursingfortransportationcosts.
AsthelivingqualityisveryhighinCuritiba,manycompanieslocatedhere.Wisely,theyhavebeen
embeddedinparksintheWesternleesideregionofthecity.

2.3SocialresponsibilityinsideBraziliansorganizations

Organizationsarecommunitiesofpeoplethatinteractwitheachothertocreaterelationships,help
eachotherandbecomesignificantontheirarea.Ifweconsiderthisconceptionoforganization,we
needtostartthinkingaboutsocialresponsivenessinsidethem.

Socialresponsivenessinsideorganizationsbegantobediffusedmoreintensivelysince1990s.It
leadstheorganizationstocommitthemselvestosocialdevelopment,sothattheyhaveapositive
impactonsociety.

However,wecanseethatbecomingasociallyresponsiblecompanyisharderthanitlooksand
therearemanyorganizationsthatclaimtobe,butactuallyarejustfulfillingtheirobligationsas
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citizens.Inthissense,itisenteringthechallengeofmarketingtofindopportunitieswherepractices
canbeappliedaltruisticallytowardsabetterenvironmentorsociety.Nowadayssayingthata
companyissociallyresponsibleismuchmoreawayofaddingvaluetoabrand.
Asaconcernedsociety,wemustunderstandthatthechallengeismuchgreaterthansupporting
causes,printingstampsormakingdonations.

In2011,IRESInstitutoADVBdeResponsabilidadeSocioambientalpromotedthe12thNational
SurveyonSocialResponsibilityandSustainablePracticesinBraziliansCompanies,whichaimsto
generateandobtaininformationabouttheperformanceofcompaniesinsocialresponsibility
programs,andtheirunderstandingofcausesandsustainablepractices.
Morethan2000organizationsrespondedtothesurvey.
Andthesearetheresults:
87%ofcompaniesrespondedthatthesocialresponsibilitypartofitsstrategicvision
86%ofcompaniesdevelopsocialprogramsforthecommunity
79%ofcompaniesrespondedthathighexecutivesparticipateandengageinsocial
programs
41%ofcompanieshaveplanstoincreaseresourcesintheexternalsocialprojectsthatare
developing
59%ofcompanieshavenoresearchorevaluationonimprovingitscorporateimageby
developing
sociallyresponsibleprojectswiththepublictowhichtheyrelate.

Analyzingthisinformation,wecanseethatsocialresponsibilityisnowbeingseeninorganizations
strategically,however,thereisstillmuchtodotoachieveanideallevel.
Additionally,wecanseethroughthegraphthatmanyorganizationsrelatetoSocialResponsibility
directlywithmarketing,whichindicatestheinterestofcompaniestostrategicallypromotesocially
responsibleprograms.
Moreover,socialactionshelptorelatethebrandofacompanyconceptsandethicalvalues,
contributingtotheenhancementofitscorporateimagetoalloftheirstakeholders.

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3.Comparisontoothercountries

3.1.SustainabilityinArgentina

EnvironmentalsustainabilityissuesconcerningArgentinaaretypicalofthoseofmostdeveloping
nations:poorwaterandairquality,deforestation,andsoildegradation.

EnvironmentalsustainabilitysituationinArgentina:

Argentinaislocatedinforestemergency:already70%oforiginalnativeforestsarelost
anddeforestationhasincreasedsharplyinthelastdecadebytheuncontrolledadvanceof
theagriculturalfrontier.In1914,therewere105millionhectaressince2005thereisan
estimated33millionremaininghectaresofforest.Since1914,twothirdsofArgentina's
nativeforestshavebeendestroyed.Ifthisdestructioncontinuesunchecked,allof
Argentina'snativeforestswillbegonebytheyear2024.
Increaseduseofpesticides:In1991,agriculturereportedusing40millionlitersof
pesticidesby1997thatnumberhadgrownto100millionliters
HighLevelsofLead:IntheprovinceofJujuy,59percentofchildrenfromtheAbraPampas
haveanunsafeamountofleadintheirblood.
IntheCityofBuenosAiresgarbageisoneofthemostimportantstructuralproblemsdaily
over5000tonsareburiedinlandfills.
Since1985theamountofsulfurdioxideintheatmospherehasincreasedby140percent
whereascarbondioxide,nitrogenoxide,andparticulateshaveincreasedby60,56and100
percentrespectively.

Somesolutions

BuenosAiresbannedplasticbags.Theregulationimplementedaseriesofstepsto
graduallyreplaceplasticbags.Thefirsttiercameintoeffectin2012on19thJune,when
peoplehavestoppedreceivingplasticbagsfromkiosks,pharmaciesanddeliveries.From
thebeginningofAugust,supermarketsandconveniencestoresstartedtoprovide
biodegradableequivalentstoplasticbagsorencouragedpeopletobringtheirownbags.
ThemoveisasteptowardsreducingwasteinthecityofBuenosAires,whichsends6,000
tonnesofgarbagetolandfilleachday.
Argentinabannedenergywastingbulbs.Thisbulbswastealotofenergyandgenerate
greenhouseeffects,contributingtoglobalwarming.Afteraveryactive'banthebulb'
campaignbyGreenpeaceArgentina,aproposalwasdeveloped.PresidentCristina
Kirchnerapprovedthisproposalandsince01/01/2012theproduction,importationand
commercializationhasbeenstopped.
Facedwiththeworryingsituationoftheforestemergency,thechairmanoftheCommittee
onNaturalResourcesConservationandHumanEnvironmentoftheLowerHouse,Rep.
MiguelBonasso,introducedthe

MinimumStandardsforEnvironmentalProtectionof
NativeForests

inJune2006.
Thestandardsinclude:
Moratoriumonthedeforestation
ObligationtoconductEnvironmentalImpactStudyandapublichearingbefore
approvingcut.
Respecttherightsofindigenousandpeasantcommunitiesonforeststheyuse.
ZeroWasteisaphilosophyandabeginningmodelforthetwentyfirstcentury.Itincludes
'recycling'butgoesbeyondthismethod.ZeroWastemaximizesrecycling,minimizes
waste,reducesconsumptionandensuresthatproductsaremadetobereused,repairedor
recycledbackintonatureorthemarketplace.
InAugust2004GreenpeaceArgentinapresentedaZeroWastePlanforBuenosAires,
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whichproposesaseriesofmeasurestotake,basedonZeroWasteandexperiments
carriedoutindifferentpartsoftheworld.TheplanproposedbytheLawistheprogressive
reductionoftheamountofwasteburiedbythegrowthoftheindustriesassociatedwiththe
recyclingandrecoveryofmaterialsandreducedwastegeneration.

3.2.SustainabilityinGermany

Germanyontheothersidesharesthepointofviewofadevelopednation.Thewaterisclean,the
consciousnessoftheGermannationisawakenedandthegovernmentisinfavoroffostering
sustainabledevelopmentfurther.
ThefirstactualactionsoftheGermangovernmentwereinitiatedintheseventieswithregulations
andlawsconcerningthepreservationoftheenvironment,morespecificallythedisposalofwaste.
Lateron,in1994,thefirstlawsonenvironmentalprotectionwereincludedintheGerman
constitutionaswell.

Atfirst,environmentalpreservationinGermanywasmainlyconductingaftercare.
Thedamagewhichwascausedduringtheeconomicdevelopmentshouldberepairedwiththehelp
ofsocalledendofpipetechnologieslikepurificationandfilterplants,sothatcleanerwateraswell
ascleaneraircouldbewon.

Nowadays,aftercarehaschangedintopreventionandactionstakenbytheGermangovernment
regardingpreservationoftheenvironmentcanbedescribedthroughfourprinciples:

Firstly,thepolluterliabilityprincipleaimstomakepolluterspaythecostsofenvironmental
destruction,sothattheywilltrytoavoidtheminthefirstplace(e.g.sharesforcarbon
dioxideemissions)
Secondly,theprincipleofpreventionaimsatgettingtheattentionearlyonenvironmental
protection.
Thirdly,thegoalofthecooperationprincipleistoengageallstakeholdersof
environmentrelatedquestionstocooperateinordertofindcommonlyacceptedsolutions.
Lastbutnotleast,theintegrationprincipleshallhighlightthetopicofenvironmental
preservationinallareasofpoliticsinGermany.

Theabovementionedprinciplesalltogetherresultintheprincipleofsustainability.Thenumerous
regulationsoftheGermangovernmentalongwiththerisenconsciousnessoftheGerman
populationhaveresultedintheimprovementoftheenvironmentinGermanyoverthelastdecades.

ThepriceofplasticbagsinGermansupermarkets,thementalityofrecyclingandthetrends
towardsgreenlivingandecologicallyfriendlyproductshaveincreasedthequalityoflifeandthe
sensibilitytoasustainablewayoflife.Alsotherearelawsregardingemissionsofcars,whichmake
companiescompetetoproducecarswithaverylowconsumptionandcats,tryingtoremaintheair
ascleanaspossible,eveninbigcities.

Nevertheless,therealwayscouldandshouldbedonemore.LikeinArgentina,theplasticbags
shouldbebanned,sothatplasticwastedecreasesdrastically.Furthermorethereshouldandcould
bealwaysdonemore.

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4.Possiblesolutions

AfterourindepthresearchandinterestinBrazilssustainabilityproblemsandsolutions,wehave
cometotheconclusion,thattherealreadyissomeconsciousnesswithintheBraziliangovernment
andpopulation,nonthelessthereisstillalotthathastobedonetoimprovetheBrazilian
environment.Followingpointscouldbedevelopedandintroducedtothecountry:

lawsregardingwastedisposalandrecycling(separationoforganic,nonorganicand
recyclablewaste)
educationofpeopleintheAmazonasbasinhowtoconductsustainableforestry
installationofsewagetreatmentplants,especiallyinBrazilsbigcities
betterplanningofpublictransportationandbiketrailstobansomecarsfromthestreets
introducelawsaboutefficientcars(withatopofcarbonemissions)ecologicallyproduced
fuelsalonedonthelp,whencarshaveahighconsumption
introductionofenergysavingbulbsandbanningofenergywastingones
banninglightplasticbags

TheseareonlyafewexamplesofhowtheenvironmentcouldbesustainedhereinBrazil.Like
alreadymentionedabove,therecouldandshouldbealwaysdonemore.
Whatwewouldliketohighlighthereissomething,thatwethinkisthebestkeytodrivechangeand
whichhasenjoyedproveallovertheworldalready:raisingecologicalsensibilityofpopulation
throughcampaignsandespeciallyinschoolsfromaveryearlyageleadstoasociety,whichcares
andusuallymakesadifference,notneedinglawstoenforceactions.

13

5.Sources

Internetsites

http://www.brazil.org.za/environmentalissues.html#.UnpKKflIkv0

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/theworldfactbook/geos/br.html

http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/argentina/environmental_problems_argentina/

http://www.espm.br/Publicacoes/CentralDeCases/Documents/NATURA.pdf

http://www.greenpeace.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/amazon/problems/

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/csp/v23s4/05.pdf

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environment/envpdf/pap_wasess4a4brazil.pdf

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0806.htm

http://www.preciouswoods.com/site/index.cfm?id_art=93002&actMenuItemID=42703&vsprache/EN
/Preciouswoods_com____Ecology.cfm

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/amazon/amazonandsustainablefo
restr/

http://wiego.org/informaleconomy/wastepickerssolidwastemanagement

http://www.wastemanagementworld.com/articles/print/volume12/issue3/features/wtetheredee
merofbrazilswastelegacy.html

http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/AdvisoryServices/Brazil/tabid/79630/Default.aspx

http://www.ecolectric.com/gogreen/whatissustainability/

http://www.undocuments.net/ocf02.htm

http://www.zerogrowth.org/sustaindev.html

http://www.goethe.de/ges/umw/ein/de5099932.htm

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainablebusiness/sustainabilitybrazilmixedconundrum

http://www.ursinus.edu/netcommunity/page.aspx?pid=4351
]

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