Meli ESG Summit brings together key transport suppliers

With the premise that we need to act now for the best to come, and believing that sustainability is a collective journey, Mercado Libre, the largest e-commerce company in Latin America, hosted its first Meli ESG Summit. The event brought together over 80 transportation service providers and emphasized the importance and urgency of adopting improved social and environmental practices.

“To create lasting value and leave a legacy that goes beyond financial results, we need to join forces with our stakeholders,” said Breno Zurli, Director of Procurement & Real Estate at Mercado Libre Brasil. To this end, the Meli ESG Summit brought together several speakers who provided insights and tools to promote the adoption of sustainable practices within the transportation sector.

During the event, Gabriela Almeida, Manager of Human Rights and Business at the UN Global Compact, introduced the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This global agenda, agreed upon by nations, aims to eradicate poverty, protect the environment and climate, and ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030.

Laura Motta, Senior Sustainability Manager at Mercado Libre, outlined the company's ESG strategy, emphasizing its connection with the business and the innovative DNA of Mercado Libre. "Sustainable mobility is a key component of our emissions reduction strategy," she explained.

Delivering an overview of the environmental challenges faced today, Taís Salles of Disclosure Insight Action (CDP) Latin America shed light on the financial repercussions of climate change on businesses and highlighted the urgency of adopting actions to face this challenge. According to her, the first step towards this is to understand and measure the organization's own environmental footprint, and then report on it. In addition, Juan Domingues, Relationship and Causes Manager at Sistema B Brasil, delved into sustainability trends and best practices in the logistics sector. Two cases of Mercado Libre partner companies were also presented: Basepex, which adopted electric vehicles for its delivery services, and Maroni, which implemented the Mulheres Motoristas (Women Drivers) project to promote female representation in the transportation industry.

During the event, Mercado Libre also released the Guia de Boas Práticas ESG (Guide to Good ESG Practices) for transporters, which outlines the first steps to incorporate a sustainable agenda into your business. You can access it here.

Bringing visibility to the Maio Laranja (Orange May) campaign, which raises awareness within civil society and authorities about child and adolescent sexual abuse and exploitation each year, the Meli ESG Summit also welcomed Eva Dengler, Superintendent of Programs and Business Relations at Childhood Brasil. She introduced the Na Mão Certa (“In the Right Hands”) program, established in 2006 with the mission to foster supportive environments and solutions to prevent and address this issue. Truck drivers can be valuable partners in this endeavor due to their extensive travel routes across the country.

Seizing the opportunity, Mercado Libre reiterated its public commitment to the program and invited all transporters present to also join the effort.