Riopele discuss sustainable development with portuguese government

In the framework of the Northern Participatory Assembly on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Riopele received a visit from representatives of the Portuguese government on March 13th to discuss issues related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in industry and innovation, as well as to learn about the company's latest investments.

André Moz Caldas, Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Pedro Cilínio, Secretary of State for the Economy, and representatives of CCDR-N (Commission for Coordination and Regional Development of Northern Portugal) participated in the visit to Riopele, among others. They were welcomed by José Alexandre Oliveira, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Riopele, José Teixeira, General Manager at Riopele, and Isabel Domingues, Head of Sustainability.

The visit started in the R&D department, with a welcome message and a presentation of the main projects currently underway, including the company's sustainability roadmap, which will involve the entire value chain to promote environmental progress. At the end of the visit, an exchange of experiences and views took place, allowing for reflection on this common path.

The delegation then visited the biomass plant, where they had the unique opportunity to observe all the processes of this new company investment, as well as a detailed explanation of its main benefits, including clean energy, decarbonisation and contribution towards clean national forests.

In addition, Riopele recently announced its ambitious commitment to become operationally carbon neutral by 2027, through the implementation of a number of measures and projects that will enable all of the company's operations to have zero environmental impact.

For the preparation of the new Voluntary National Report (VNR), civil society was considered essential, as the intention is to ensure a relevant discussion, decided by the organisation of Participatory Assemblies throughout the country.

The Voluntary National Report will be presented in July 2023 and aims to critically review the progress made, and thus act as a catalyst for a new cycle of implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).