Sustainability available to the gastronomic sector: find out how

Sustainability, clean energy, renewable sources and ESG, or Environmental, Social and Governance, are topics that have been on the agendas of entrepreneurs around the world for some time. The big ones even have goals linked to the theme; In some cases, they are only able to close deals with strategic partners if the stipulations for reducing carbon emissions, for example, are met. But what about small and medium-sized businesses, including ventures in the gastronomic sector, where do they come into this discussion? And the population, the end consumer, what part does it play in the matter?

These and other issues were discussed in a videocast from Good Gourmet with Nex Energy on Clean Energy, Sustainability and Marketing, with Renato Lolico, electrical engineer and director of Nex Energy, and Ingrid Ferraz, financial sector analyst at ExxonMobil and doctoral candidate in regional development with a focus on ESG. Experts put on the table alternatives already available on the market for both companies and individuals. With satisfactory results; In addition to helping to reduce carbon emissions and reduce damage to the environment, they also generate savings for users’ budgets.

“ESG is applicable in all sectors and is very driven by new consumer demands”, observes Ingrid when observing a profile of people who want to know exactly what is being acquired, and the origin and destination of everything that comes to them. the hand. ESG means practices adopted by companies that involve the integration of economic value combined with attention to environmental, social and corporate governance issues.

In other words, gone are the days when a businessman’s only concern was generating profit. It is necessary to observe all aspects that involve a company’s performance in a society, its influence on the community in which it operates and its role in preserving the environment. Shareholders and a large part of the consumer public are already aware of this. And the gastronomic sector is not exempt from this critical view of the customer. Many are already replacing brands that have not yet understood the message with others that are already implementing sustainable actions and taking an affirmative stance on this. And this is a path of no return, experts say.

Socio-environmental awareness

“Clean energy is in this context mainly due to carbon emissions”, adds Lolico. According to the expert, companies and individuals with more socio-environmental awareness are adopting the consumption of clean energy and their own energy generation out of the desire to foster a more sustainable market. Without the use of fossil fuels, for example, there is a visible reduction in environmental impacts.

A good example with positive results applicable to small and medium-sized businesses is shared generation, decentralized energy production resulting in most cases from renewable sources. The method provides a reduction in dependence on fossil fuels while promoting important economic and social benefits. The generation model worked by Nex Energy, a startup from Curitiba (PR), helps to contain carbon emissions, which is connected with global sustainability goals.

Nex Energy joins forces by putting the clean energy generation plant and those interested in using it into contact. Using this model, the owner of a smaller business does not necessarily need to install voltaic panels on their roof. In other words, he does not need to invest in equipment to enjoy clean energy. Nex finds companies whose business focus is building energy generation plants. Those looking to make use of this energy simply need to join a cooperative and then lease the project, which may even be geographically distant, as long as the cooperative and plants are connected to the same energy distributor.

Then, the plant generates the energy, injects the credit into a cooperative account, and each member of this group receives a fraction of the energy generated. At the end of the month, the cooperative presents to the energy concessionaire, which indicates how much each member of the cooperative received in energy generated.

“The cooperative presents the concessionaire with information that, for example, the bakery, the market, the pizzeria, the restaurant, a certain house will receive a percentage of this credit. And so the democratization of access became easier to achieve”, highlights the expert.

Lolico remembers that the number of photovoltaic plate installations in Brazil continues to grow. According to a survey by the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (Absolar), in June this year the country surpassed the mark of 2 million photovoltaic solar systems installed on roofs, facades and small plots of land. The equivalent of 22 gigawatts (GW) of installed power in homes, businesses, industries, public buildings and rural properties. Solar energy currently occupies second place in the Brazilian electrical matrix. Of the total installed power, 14.3% comes from solar energy, second only to hydropower (51%).

“This model makes the discourse on sustainability much easier,” suggests Lolico. The idea of ​​a company attentive to the planet’s needs speaks directly to investors and, above all, consumers who are keeping an eye on the companies’ attitudes. According to the 2023 Sustainability Index from Kantar, a world leader in data management and consultancy, more than half of the population no longer consumes products from a brand that does not invest in sustainability, or that still maintains practices considered harmful to the environment. and society.

In its third edition, the survey mapped consumers’ perception of ESG guidelines and their impact on consumption decisions. The index analyzed data from 26 thousand people in relation to 43 sectors of the economy in the 33 countries in which Kantar operates.

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