Scania Brazil's Patricia Acioli Turns Community Action into Sustainability Strategy

Patricia Acioli, Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at Scania Brazil, has spent more than eleven years at the company shaping sustainability as something embedded in business strategy rather than bolted on. A former journalist, she leads major sustainability projects, supports the shift to climate-friendly transportation, and reports on progress. Since 2020, she has led Scania Brazil's social impact agenda, which aims to contribute to a better world through education, safety, and acting as a 'Great Local Player' in communities.

Acioli also launched 'Sustainable Talks,' a series of events that brings companies, policymakers, academia, and other stakeholders together to shift the mindset from competition to collaboration. She says the outcome has been a broader understanding that the energy transition depends on enabling conditions such as infrastructure, regulation, renewable fuels, financing, and collaboration. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Queen of the Road, an initiative Acioli created to recognize women in transport. It has evolved from a conversation about empowerment to one about creating environments where women are encouraged to speak up and lead.

As part of TRATON Group, Acioli says Scania Brazil regularly exchanges knowledge and benchmarks initiatives with other brands. Fredrik Nilzen, Scania's Head of Sustainability, takes part in Group-level sustainability forums, and she works closely with Priscila Rocha, Head of Sustainability at Volkswagen Truck & Bus, to exchange ideas. Acioli describes herself as a 'solutions activist' and in 2025 received Scania's internal Eva Nyström Scholarship for innovation and sustainability.