At Suzano, our ambition is to renew life by promoting equity and social justice, ensuring a culture of inclusion and belonging throughout our value chain. It’s only good for us if it’s good for the world. For this reason, we have taken on the Commitments to Renew Life (CPRV), a strategic agenda comprising 15 public targets to generate social impact while driving our business forward.

Among the 15 targets, five specifically reflect our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), with an achievement goal set for 2025. These include:

• Attaining 30% representation of women in functional management positions and higher;
• Achieving 30% representation of Black people¹ in functional management positions and higher;
• Ensuring a 100% inclusive environment² for LGBTQIAPN+³ people;
• Ensure a 100% inclusive environment for people with disabilities;
• Ensuring a 100% accessible⁴ environment for people with disabilities. 

In line with these commitments, Suzano implements annual goals linked to variable remuneration to increase the presence of under-represented groups in leadership and the workforce. 

For 2024, Suzano has established the following targets: 

• Women in functional management positions and above: increase representation by 2.6 percentage points (p.p.) compared to December 2023;
• Black people in functional management positions and above: increase representation by 2.6 percentage points compared to December 2023;
• People with disabilities in the general workforce: increase representation by 0.6 p.p. compared to December 2023.

To translate these public goals and commitments into tangible results, Suzano has implemented affirmative actions targeted at under-represented groups. One such initiative is D+, a career acceleration program for women and Black people. In 2024, this program impacted approximately 217 of the company’s talents through a development journey that included mentoring sessions, assessments, sponsorship, and exposure to internal opportunities. 

Another notable initiative is the Somar program, a collaboration between Suzano and the National Industrial Learning Service (Senai). This program aims to train women and people with disabilities for entry-level industrial and forestry operations positions. In 2024, training sessions were conducted in several locations, including Espírito Santo (Aracruz), Maranhão (Açailândia and Imperatriz), Mato Grosso do Sul (Ribas do Rio Pardo and Três Lagoas), Pará (Belém), and São Paulo (Vale do Paraíba). Altogether, the program has 48 individuals currently undergoing training and 58 who have already completed the program, achieving a 65% success rate. 

Additionally, Suzano has established Plural, a multifaceted entity designed to address demands and strengthen affinity networks through the internal engagement of employees. Plural consists of various affinity groups (GAs), each granted the autonomy to implement actions tailored to their respective locations' specific challenges and opportunities. It also features a committee composed of executive and representative leaders. This committee’s primary objective is to discuss and make decisions on institutional diversity issues within the company, ensuring that these matters receive the necessary attention and resources to foster an inclusive workplace environment.

Concerning the impacts of this agenda, it is essential to highlight the significant strides made in promoting gender equality and generating value for the business by attracting, developing, and retaining diverse groups. During this period, the Trainee and Young Executive programs successfully hired 57% women and 40% Black people. The Internship programs recruited 64% women and 55% Black people. Meanwhile, the Jovem Aprendiz (Young Apprentice) program saw 56% of positions filled by women and 66% by Black, Pardas, and Indigenous people among those approved. These achievements underscore Suzano’s commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion within its workforce.

In 2024, notable progress was made in advancing women and Black people into functional management positions and above. Among promotions, 38% were women and 31% were Black people, showing a significant increase from the 2023 figures of 30% for women and 16% for Black people. Additionally, in terms of new admissions, 40% were women, an improvement from the 33% recorded in 2023. These results highlight Suzano’s ongoing commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion within its leadership and workforce. 

Also in 2024, Suzano promoted awareness and increased visibility of diversity and anti-discrimination initiatives. Throughout the year, the company expanded its diversity agenda by strengthening local efforts, implementing diversity plans, and enhancing the presence of affinity groups. This approach recognized the regional context, ensuring that the specific challenges of each location were effectively addressed. One example is Imperatriz, in Maranhão, where Suzano developed a project to identify the main challenges and opportunities for increasing the hiring of women in industrial and forestry operations. Additionally, the company implemented racial literacy initiatives for leaders in partnership with the GAs of Black people, fostering a more inclusive and equitable work environment.

Regarding the monitoring and strategic management of targets, Suzano conducts an annual audit of the CPRV indicators—including diversity—with the support of an external consultancy. Additionally, the company manages diversity targets and key performance indicators (KPIs) internally, utilizing Power BI tools to track progress, conduct analyses, and develop action plans effectively.

We regularly assess targets from both Suzano’s overall perspective and that of each vice-presidency. This approach enables us to identify key challenges and opportunities while considering the specific characteristics of each business and location where the company operates. The results are reported monthly to senior management and analyzed in collaboration with the People and Management teams and leaders, ensuring that action plans are developed jointly and strategically.

The initiatives described above have contributed to the following achievements in 2024:

• 27,3% of women in functional management positions and above, representing an increase of 2.4 percentage points compared to 2023;
• 22% of Black people in functional management positions and above, reflecting an increase of 1.6 percentage points compared to 2023;
• 4,2% of people with disabilities in the workforce, marking an increase of 0.5 percentage points compared to 2023.

It is important to highlight that, during this period, Suzano experienced an approximately 8% increase in its workforce, underscoring the challenge of meeting these targets while reinforcing the significance of the progress achieved in 2024.

On the value chain and external engagement front, Suzano has partnered with strategic organizations to strengthen its governance and implement the best diagnostic and management tools. Among the partnerships that align with both the Commitments to Renew Life and the company’s organizational values, the following stand out: 

• Forum of Companies and LGBTI+ Rights: Suzano is a signatory of this business movement, aiming to enhance its management practices, combat LGBTQIAP+phobia, and collaborate with other companies to foster a more inclusive business environment and society; 
• Business Initiative for Racial Equality: A coalition of companies and institutions promoting racial inclusion. This initiative focuses on advancing ethnic-racial equality by fostering career development and preparing Black professionals for senior leadership positions; 
• Women’s Empowerment Principles: A set of guidelines designed to help businesses integrate values and practices that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment; 
• Movimento Mulher 360: A reference center for women’s economic empowerment, providing resources for companies, social organizations, and society. It aims to drive progress in gender equality and support the economic empowerment of Brazilian women through the promotion, systematization, and dissemination of business policies and practices; 
• Forest Women’s Network: A movement that fosters discussions on gender within the forestry sector and broader society. It seeks to create fairer, more collaborative, and respectful working environments through voluntary engagement and collective action. 

We recognize that this is a continuous and collaborative journey of learning and evolution, where stakeholder engagement is essential through active listening and creating spaces for reflection, dialogue, and inclusion. In this regard, the following initiatives stand out:

• Strengthening local affinity groups, granting them autonomy to develop and implement action plans that address regional challenges in alignment with the institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) strategy;
• Pesquisa Annual engagement survey, assessing various aspects of the work environment, including inclusivity, organizational climate, engagement, leadership, and development opportunities, from the perspectives of gender, race, age, orientation, identity, and disability;
• Active listening mechanisms to capture diverse perspectives on experiences, culture, and belonging, considering gender, race, age, orientation, identity, and disability dimensions. 

These tools and assessments will inform the revision of Suzano’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy, scheduled for 2025. 

Suzano has established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy and a Code of Ethics and Conduct to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for everyone in the company. Suppose any behavior does not align with these guidelines. In that case, the People & Management and Ombudsman teams are equipped to receive and address complaints, ensuring confidentiality and protection against retaliation for all parties involved. To support this, Suzano provides an external and independent Complaint Channel accessible to internal and external stakeholders. 

Notes:

1. Black people: Terminology used by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), encompassing self-declared Black and pardos/pardas people.

2. 100% guarantee of an inclusive environment: This is based on a study by the consultancy Globescan, which analyzed survey results within a 97.31% confidence level, falling within the 95% confidence interval, thus reflecting a fully inclusive environment.
3. The company has chosen to adopt the acronym LGBTQIAPN+, which includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and non-binary people, with the “+” symbol representing all other sexual orientations, identities, and gender expressions..
4. Accessible environment: According to a 2020 survey by iigual consultancy, Suzano’s offices and industrial units in Brazil meet the criteria for accessibility, based on reasonable adjustments, compliance with NBR9050 standards, and ongoing progress measured annually following structural adjustments and renovations.