Company won the ‘Conservation of Natural Resources and Wildlife’ category for its Nature Interpretation Center project in the Serra da Farofa Complex 

 
Santa Catarina, December 1, 2023 – Klabin, Brazil's largest producer and exporter of packaging paper and sustainable solutions in paper packaging, was honored at the 24th Fritz Müller Awards organized by the Environment Institute of Santa Catarina (IMA). This is the 9th award won by the Company for initiatives recognized by the awards, which honors organizations for their sustainable practices and environmental innovations.

The award was given to Klabin for its work at the Nature Interpretation Center (CINAT) located at the Serra da Farofa Complex Natural Heritage Private Reserve (RPPNE), in the "Conservation of Natural Resources and Wildlife" category. The awards were given away at a ceremony held this week at the Lira Tênis Clube in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. A record 125 projects were submitted to this edition, of which 12 were elected winners and two received honorable mentions.

"The award recognizes all our efforts in our state, as well as our commitment to the environment, society and sustainable development. It encourages other projects to adopt more responsible practices,” said Júlio Nogueira, Sustainability and Environment Manager at Klabin.      

The award-winning project is also featured in the Fritz Müller 2023 Environmental Yearbook launched during the ceremony, which attests to Klabin’s commitment to environmental conservation. The award is given to 12 categories and is named after Johann Friedrich Theodor Müller, a German naturalist who dedicated 45 years of his life to Santa Catarina and is recognized as the prince of nature observers and precursor of ecology.

Conservation that encourages scientific research

CINAT, which completed four years in 2023, is a local biodiversity monitoring space dedicated to encouraging research and observation of nature. Spread on an area of over 1,518 hectares (equivalent to 1,500 soccer fields), it is home to remnants of the Atlantic Forest in a high state of conservation, covering the municipalities of Urupema, Painel, Rio Rufino, Urubici and Bocaina do Sul. Up to 40 researchers and students can stay at the site, whose fully sustainable infrastructure includes heated dormitories, cafeteria and auditorium, and is accessible to persons with special needs. Stay is allowed only for research groups, in visits scheduled and organized to minimize the impact on the ecosystem. Ecological tourism is not allowed.

The Serra da Farofa Complex is Klabin's biggest RPPN and the third largest in southern Brazil, according to the Indicators Dashboard of the National RPPN Confederation. It comprises almost 5,000 hectares of the remaining Atlantic Forest, sheltering the watersheds of Caveiras and Canoas rivers and covering the municipalities of Bocaina do Sul, Painel, Rio Rufino, Urubici and Urupema. More than 570 species of flora and 360 species of fauna have been officially identified in the region, including many classified as endemic, rare and included in official endangered species lists.

The Company’s successful initiatives in the region earned it the honors of being the first company in Brazil to simultaneously obtain the declarations of ecosystem services for Biodiversity Conservation (ES1), Carbon Sequestration and Storage (ES2) and Watershed Services (ES3) conferred by the international forest management certification organization. 

#Prêmio #MeioAmbiente #Sustentabilidade