A sustentabilidade ambiental em cooperativas de eletrificação rural no estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The concept of sustainability is seen as one of the new paradigms for the contemporary awareness of the modern world. Sustainability presents itself as an alternative solution to the planet's current problems. Currently, the relevance of the theme makes the issue of sustainability present in debates and discussions at global meetings and forums. This study seeks to identify whether there is evidence of environmental practices in Rural Electrification Cooperatives (CER) in rural Brazilian areas, more precisely in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The methodology used in this study is characterized as a descriptive quantitative research, with the use of secondary data. The analyzed data were extracted from the websites of the CERs affiliated to the Federation of Energy, Telephony and Development Cooperatives of Rio Grande do Sul (FECOERGS), for which a sustainability construct was applied, which aims to identify the environmental practices of such cooperatives. Data analysis took place through cluster analysis, which identified the predominance of 2 distinct clusters. Complementary statistical tests were performed so that they could confirm the distinction between the formed groups. The cooperative as the highest result in the disclosure of environmental practices obtained a score of 12 out of 24 achievable “points”. The work identified that, for the most part, the CERs present low levels of disclosure of environmental practices. As a suggestion for future studies, we propose a study with an approach that aims to identify the influence of environmental practices evidenced/carried out by Rural Electrification Cooperatives on the family income of members served by such cooperatives. Another study proposal would be to search for a different database (or increase the scope of the research) so that the results of this investigation can be complemented, confirmed or even opposed.