José Carlos Martins, board member of Cedro, is one of the panelists at the ESG Summit

Brazil Journal's ESG Summit had José Carlos Martins, board member of Cedro Participações, as one of the panelists. Martins took part in discussions on the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition in different industries, representing mining. The event was held on November 5, 2024, in São Paulo.

According to the representative of Cedro Participações, iron ore mining itself is not a major emitter of carbon into the atmosphere. But the steel industry, its main client, is. This is because large quantities of coal are used in the production process. "For every ton of steel, two to two and a half tons of carbon are emitted," he said.

Thus, one of the most effective ways to significantly reduce the impact of the steel industry, Martins said, would be to adopt a more suitable product, such as pellet feed, a finer, high-quality, low-silica iron ore. "In our company, we have focused on this segment," he said.

In addition to Martins, other exponents of the industrial sector in Brazil took part in the panel, such as Ricardo Mussa, CEO of Cosan Investimentos; Marcelo Araújo, executive director of the Ultra Group, and Alexandre Baldy, vice-president of the BYD automaker. The moderator was Adriano Pires, consultant and founder of the Brazilian Infrastructure Center.

The panel can be watched here.