The first carbon project of a sugarcane-based energy mill in the Cerrado region, the REDD+ Sertão Veredas, will be presented at COP-30 in Belém (PA) as an example of an initiative that combines environmental conservation, innovation, and sustainable development. The presentation is scheduled for November 18th, a symbolic date celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Porto Cajueiro Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) in Minas Gerais, a 15,000-hectare area maintained by the Coruripe Sugar Mill and the birthplace of the project.
The initiative is the result of a partnership between Usina Coruripe, Itaú Unibanco, Reservas Votorantim, and EQAO. Itaú is responsible for advising on and marketing the credits; Reservas Votorantim and EQAO provide technical consulting and project origination. The project has been submitted to Verra, the leading international carbon credit certifier, and, once approved, is expected to generate 72,000 carbon credits per year based on the REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) methodology, applied to areas with high deforestation pressure.
During COP-30, Usina Coruripe's Sustainability Manager, Bertholdino Apolônio Júnior, will present the project in a panel at Votorantim's "legacy & future" space. In addition to discussing the project, he will detail the activities developed at the Porto Cajueiro Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN), especially regarding wildlife conservation and community integration. A video will also be released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the RPPN (Private Natural Heritage Reserve).
According to him, the REDD+ Sertão Veredas project symbolizes a new stage in the company's environmental performance. "The project consolidates two decades of commitment to the preservation of the Cerrado and shows that it is possible to combine conservation, research, and the generation of economic value. Porto Cajueiro has always been a living laboratory of sustainability and, this year, we are taking a step further, transforming this protection into a climate benefit for the country," he states.
The president of Usina Coruripe, Mario Lorencatto, highlights that, in 20 years, the Porto Cajueiro Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) has established itself as one of the most important private reserves in the Minas Gerais Cerrado. Located on the banks of the Carinhanha River, a tributary of the São Francisco River, it is part of the Sertão Veredas–Peruaçu Mosaic, an ecological corridor recognized for its rich biodiversity and for harboring emblematic species such as jaguars, maned wolves, tayras, tapirs, and ocelots. During this period, the reserve transformed into a hub for scientific research, wildlife conservation, and environmental education, serving as a model for sustainable management and a national benchmark in biodiversity projects.
Among the main initiatives developed on site is the Bicudo Project, aimed at reintroducing the Sporophila maximiliani, a bird species threatened with extinction. After decades without being seen in the wild, the bird has been recorded again in the region thanks to the efforts of the conservation breeding center installed within the reserve. The initiative is conducted in partnership with institutions such as the Ariramba Institute, the Boticário Group Foundation, the USP Zoology Museum, and the Federal University of São Carlos, and has already resulted in the birth of new specimens prepared for release. Another highlight is the Mammal Project, which carries out permanent monitoring of medium and large-sized species, assisting in the development of strategies and actions for the protection, conservation, and management of these species.
According to Lorencatto, the REDD+ Sertão Veredas consolidates the RPPN's vocation as a space for integration between science and sustainability. "Our purpose is to continue what we have built over these 20 years, expanding the positive impact on the Cerrado and neighboring communities. The carbon project is a new way to value what we have always defended: keeping the forest standing is, above all, an investment in the future," he assesses.