Responsible growth. This is the philosophy adopted by the Gerdau Group when expanding its operations. This responsibility is reflected, for example, in the Group’s constant concern for environmental preservation, an issue that receives significant annual investment. In 2005, Gerdau allocated R$ 145.8 million for the updating of air, water and soil protection equipment in its facilities.
By the end of the year, four Gerdau Group steel mills in Brazil had already received ISO 14001 certification: Gerdau Açominas (state of Minas Gerais), Gerdau Cosigua (Rio de Janeiro), Gerdau Aços Especiais Piratini and Gerdau Riograndense (both in Rio Grande do Sul). ISO 14001 judges the consistency of a company’s environmental system based on the criteria of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), headquartered in Switzerland. Gerdau Açonorte (state of Pernambuco) and Gerdau Cotia (São Paulo) were also ISO certified at the beginning of 2006. The Company’s goal is to obtain the certification for all of its units. Investments destined to ISO 14001 in Brazil totaled R$ 1.7 million in 2005. |
