The sustainable future 50 years in the making - Honda in Brazil

Honda has set an ambitious goal to become a carbon neutral company by 2050. This target doesn’t just relate to its products, but all of its business activities - and is highlighted by its bold Triple Action to Zero policy.

Essentially, this means the development of 100% zero-emission vehicles in its automobile business in North America and other major global markets by 2040. Furthermore, it requires the brand to deliver carbon neutrality across every part of our supply chain, including offices, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities.

Yet none of these future achievements will be possible without Honda’s commitment to developing business activities in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These standards help the brand deliver technological developments and corporate attitudes that also fulfill social responsibilities in the environmental field.

These SDGs have been years in the making, and nowhere is that more obvious than Honda’s operations in Brazil. Started in 1971, this motorcycle production facility has blazed a trail by ensuring it has carefully integrated itself with the local community and its environment through a series of special projects that embrace everything from reforestation to wastewater treatment.

Honda in Brazil - a brief history

Honda's activities in Brazil began in 1971 with the import and distribution of its motorcycles. A few years later, Soichiro Honda himself, accompanied by his wife, visited the country to celebrate the brand's success, and he saw firsthand the close affinity Brazilians had with Honda’s product. Not only did owners rate the quality of the company’s motorcycles, they also loved the level of after-sales service, availability of spare parts and the well-trained mechanics that cared for them.

However, in the mid-1970s a change in Brazilian legislation banned the import of any type of vehicle. At this crucial moment, Honda was faced with two options: either the operation in Brazil would need to be closed, or the company would have to manufacture its products locally.

Honda decided the best option was to make its own products locally, and selected a site in Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas. That said, starting production from scratch was no walk in the park. There were no suppliers nearby, no road to transport products to the Southeast and the main consumer market and qualified labour was scarce. None of this, however, dimmed Honda enthusiasm for the project, and in 1976 the brand’s first factory was opened.

Now in operation for nearly 50 years, the factory the Moto Honda da Amaz?nia at Manaus is considered one of Honda’s most modern plants in South America, setting new benchmarks for technology. It now directly and indirectly employs more than 8,600 staff and manufactures more than 5,500 motorcycles a day over 19 different model lines. In total, more than 29 million motorcycles have rolled out of the factory.

Yet the size of the plant’s impact goes beyond these figures, because since its opening the factory has specialised in implementing environmental management and protection policies that benefit both staff and the local community and its environment.

Environmental projects that promote a happier local community.

Honda's operations developed well in Manaus and, as a result, by 2003 the company needed a place to test the motorcycles it produced, in order to guarantee the quality and test any improvements.

However, this was not such a simple task, not least because the location needed to fulfill multiple criteria. For starters, it had to be large enough to build the test tracks and yet close enough to the factory to facilitate logistics. It also needed to be far enough from the city not to compromise the engineering secrets that might be spotted by potential competitors. Most importantly, the new facility needed to have minimal environmental impact.

Following thorough search the ideal site was found: an area of over a thousand hectares in the municipality of Rio Preto da Eva, 80 km from the factory. Home to a gigantic natural reserve of native forest, it was also home to a rich biodiversity of Amazonian proportions.

In compliance with local legislation, part of the land needed to be set aside for preservation, with the important function of promoting biodiversity conservation, sheltering and protecting wild fauna and native flora. Therefore, three teams were established to achieve this goal, each individually responsible for fruit growing, reforestation and an agricultural project.

The agricultural project began with the production of vegetables using a cultivation system that allows plants to grow in a solution of water with nutrients (hydroponics) - in other words, without soil. This system offers food with a high nutritional value, free from pesticides to the associates of the Manaus factory.

Currently leading the agricultural industry is Kiyoshi Miki, an agronomist who has been a Honda associate for 37 years. “When we arrived in the region, we came across soil that was deficient in nutrients for growing vegetables,” Miki san explained. “We analyzed the composition of the soil and started working on correcting macro and micronutrients and organic compounds. In addition, we had to find good seedling producers, select associates and train them. More than 20 years later, we have an adequate structure and team to maintain the project. I'm very proud to be part of it all.”

Twice a week, around 160kg of lettuce is harvested and sent to the factory's cafeteria, which serves more than 11,000 meals a day.? In addition, more than 144 tons of fruit and vegetables have been donated to charities such as GACC (Grupo de Apoio A Crian?a Com Cancer do Amazonas) - a Support Group for Children with Cancer.

“The donations made by Honda to our institution are very important, as we can offer our children adequate food, the nutrients they need during treatment," comments Thamires Luana Rodrigues Costa, GACC’s nutritionist. “We thank Honda for their partnership and support for our institution”.

Purifying factory wastewater using innovative technology.

Honda’s commitment to reducing the impact of its activities on the environment means it has been carrying out a survey of the native fauna and flora within the local nature reserve, plus it is constantly developing projects aimed at reducing, eliminating or reusing waste.

One highlight of this exhaustive policy is the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Manaus. Opened in 2001, this project is responsible for treating waste water from the factory's production processes, cafeterias and toilets.

Once purified, this waste water is put to many uses, including irrigation of the factory gardens and helping in the cleaning of various industrial processes. In addition, some of the treated water is returned to nature, contributing to the preservation of the igarapés ecosystem, narrow streams in the Amazon forest that permeate the forests and are important means of navigation and subsistence for local communities, as well as contributing to animal biodiversity.

“The Wastewater Treatment Plant is recognized not only by associates, but also by environmental agencies and that fills us with pride.” says Marciana Lima, who has been working at the Wastewater Treatment Plant for 12 years, since she joined the company.

These initiatives are just a few examples of how Honda is committed to realizing “the Joy and Freedom of Mobility” and “a Sustainable Society where people can enjoy life”. Not only does this help Honda exceed the expectations of today's consumers, it also plays an important role in protecting and preserving the world for future generations.