Developing specific projects in different fields, through environmental education or new technologies, is one of the strategies that the Company uses to disseminate environmentally responsible practices that benefit the community. In this regard, CTTEP invests in innovative solutions for the industry, such as the Green Shield Project and the SF6 Gas Project, described in the “Research and Development” section of this report.

Burn Prevention Campaign
Every year, CTEEP runs a Burn Prevention Campaign designed to raise awareness among stakeholders (plant personnel, rural workers, farmers, society and employees) about the risks of unauthorized burning in areas close to transmission towers. This practice may lead to outages, wildfires and risks to population safety and the environment. Through a media campaign, initiatives to build closer relationships with communities and informative talks, this project is intended to educate the population in the vicinity of transmission towers.

Each year, the campaign is run in three areas, each of which comprising eight to ten cities or towns. The areas are determined by CTEEP based on the incidents recorded in the previous years. The campaign lasts four months, between April and July, which is the beginning of the dry season.

In 2012, the Company invested R$270,000.00 in the 12th edition of the campaign, which involved 2,125 in 42 cities and towns, chosen according to the risk of burning in the area.
The number of incidents and outages related to vegetation fire remained virtually stable year-over-year in 2012. The Company recorded 12 incidents of vegetation fire near transmission lines, causing 16 outages.

Cuca Project
The Cuca Project is developed by Cantareira State Park jointly with the Instituto Guatambu NGO. Supporting the program was one of the conditions for CTEEP to obtain the installation license for the Guarulhos-Anhanguera transmission line.

The project was designed to promote development and environmental education and includes initiatives for students and the community in the vicinity of the Company’s facilities, inside and outside conservation units.

The project includes informative talks at schools and guided visits to the Park, focusing on the importance of the conservation unit, biodiversity, the role of transmission lines in the development of Brazil, citizenship and other issues related to the environmental impact of practices like illegal waste disposal, poaching, unauthorized vegetation fires, wildfires and trespassing.

CTEEP produced pamphlets for the target audience of the project, containing the history of the Cantareira State Park, preservation tips, information about CTEEP, educational games and other contents connected with environmental issues. In 2012, project activities reached an audience of over 12,000 people.

Urban Orchard
GRI EC8
CTEEP is one of the supporters of the Urban Orchard Project, an initiative of the São Paulo State Department of the Environment, jointly with public and private sector companies, to promote the environmental and landscape recovery along the banks of the Pinheiros River (São Paulo City), in addition to job training and environmental education programs. Whereas the Government sets and monitors parameters to ensure that the river banks are effectively recovered, the other partners hire employees to maintain the area.

According to the official project website, 26 km of both banks have been recovered, an effort involving 21 partners. So far, over 300,000 seedlings have been planted. CTEEP is responsible for maintaining an 800-m stretch of the river banks.