Executive Summit - Sustainability and Business
Between November 9th and 10th, 2023, Mercosul Motores made its presence felt at the 2023 edition of the Executive Summit, an initiative by MAC (Movimento Alagoas Competitiva).
With a deep focus on sustainability in business, the event garnered much attention for addressing not just a necessary topic but also discussions crucial for making extremely relevant decisions in today's scenario. This is a time where concern for the environment and sustainable practices is increasingly prevalent, creating a state of alert given the recent climate events that triggered heatwaves and other atypical natural phenomena in Brazil and other regions worldwide.
The discussion panels covered a range of topics, from strategies to reduce carbon footprint to innovative methods for integrating environmental responsibility into business plans.
By hosting this gathering, the Movimento Alagoas Competitiva reinforces its genuine concept that economic progress should harmonize with environmental preservation. It encourages socially responsible and ecologically correct business practices, contributing to a green and inclusive economy.
Over the two days, participants had the opportunity to learn from sustainability experts, gaining valuable knowledge applicable to their own companies. Additionally, the event highlighted successful cases of companies making significant strides in sustainability, including Mercosul Motores.
In a tangible and real-life example, Mercosul showed attendees how its technology is making a difference in the automotive industry.
In one of the spaces at Hotel Jatiúca, where the event took place, an ordinary car manufactured in 1997 was on display. This vehicle, apart from its customized paint, would hardly be distinguishable from other cars of the same model at first glance. However, its traditional and polluting combustion engine had been replaced by an efficient and sustainable electric motor. This transformation allowed the car to function normally without the pollution caused by its previous fossil fuel-based engine.
"Few (companies) truly undertake a project that is green, and our project is green. There are already two billion seven hundred million cars (in the world), adding more cars (to the world) and claiming they're electric is not the solution. But converting existing (cars) to electric, yes, that's what we're talking about when it comes to green initiatives," said Carlos Eduardo França, CEO of Mercosul Motores in an interview with AL TV.
The choice of a car manufactured in the last century aimed to demonstrate that it wasn't necessary to own an expensive, state-of-the-art vehicle for sustainable changes to be made.
Also in an interview with AL TV, technologist Roberto Saldo briefly explained the process of replacing a combustion engine with an electric motor in existing ordinary cars:
"There's a kit... The electric motor, the inverter controlling this motor, and the batteries powering it. You can add more equipment to make it more comprehensive, but with these mentioned equipment, it can already run."
By presenting a tangible and viable sustainable solution in the automotive sector, Mercosul Motores aims to drive the transition from combustion engines to electric motors with its expansion into the state of Alagoas, becoming the first factory in this segment to operate in the Northeast region of Brazil.
Secretary of Finance Renata Santos expressed her expectation that Alagoas will become a hub for green economy and technology, especially concerning electric motors, with Mercosul Motores' arrival in the region being the initial push for this to happen.
You can find the complete interview on AL TV here.
References: AL TV, Movimento Alagoas Competitiva, Gazeta de Alagoas.
Author: Thomas Silva.
