This groundbreaking publication combines global intelligence and technical expertise from the organization working towards sustainable development in Brazil.
The Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) is launching the first edition of the 2026 Trends Radar, a publication that identifies the main movements structuring the new business sustainability agenda in Brazil.
The document offers a contemporary perspective and identifies five central vectors: capital as a condition for execution, qualified information as a basis for decision-making, decarbonization as an operational competence, nature as an economic asset, and international cooperation as a scale for transformation.
“Radar is a decision-oriented mapping tool: it doesn't describe future trends, but maps movements that are already underway and whose pace of action will determine competitive positions,” says Daniela Mignani, Executive Director of Corporate Management at CEBDS.
The document was prepared based on the analysis of more than 20 international reports and articles — produced by organizations such as the World Economic Forum, Climate Policy Initiative, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and KPMG — combined with the technical expertise of CEBDS, an organization with 29 years of experience in the field.
More than anticipating trends, the document aims to guide business decisions in the face of a socio-environmental agenda that is advancing rapidly and irreversibly.
Green Capital
Global capital flows directed toward the climate transition reached US$1.9 trillion in 2023 (Climate Policy Initiative). In Brazil, sustainable bond issuances in the international market jumped from US$2.06 billion in 2022 to US$6.55 billion in 2024 — a growth of US$2.18 billion in two years, according to the Central Bank. Volume is no longer the problem: the challenge now is to structure clear pathways to transform this capital into viable and scalable projects.
Capital has become more demanding. Global investors want fewer promises and more evidence: real transparency, consistent metrics, and measurable results. Sustainability has moved from institutional communication to the heart of finance—today it's a variable of risk, return, and cost of capital. Companies that understand this shift will not only be raising capital but also repositioning their strategy for a world where environmental performance and economic value go hand in hand.
Real Materiality
The Reporting Matters 2025 (CEBDS) confirms that 75% of the reports already adopt double materiality — almost double the 40% of 2023. A survey by Amcham with over 400 executives shows that 721% of companies will have integrated sustainability into their business strategy by 2025, compared to only 261% two years earlier. Among the organizations at a more advanced stage, 87% report a direct impact on reputation and 82% have expanded access to new markets.
The strategic question has changed. It's no longer "why report?", but rather: is the data guiding real decisions—or just feeding reports? Investors demand transparency before investing capital. Banks incorporate ESG criteria into credit pricing. Regulators transform best practices into formal obligations. Real-world materiality has ceased to be a technical exercise and has become an essential management competency.
Decarbonization on a Large Scale
The Brazilian GHG Protocol Program currently brings together 674 organizations and more than 1,300 inventories published in 2025 — an increase of 25% compared to the previous year. The Sectoral Coalitions for Decarbonization of CEBDS, with more than 270 institutions, have already mapped the potential for reducing emissions by up to 70% in transportation, targets of up to 90% in mining, and R$ 450 billion in projected investments in the electricity sector.
What differentiates this cycle is not the discourse, but the design: pre-competitive collaboration, alignment with science, and building solutions on a sectoral scale. Low-carbon production models offer something increasingly rare in an unstable economic scenario—less exposure to structural risks and greater planning capacity. Decarbonization has become a decision criterion for the present, not a distant horizon.
Nature as a Strategic Asset
The TNFD 2025 Report reveals that 631 out of 620 companies surveyed globally consider nature-related risks to be as relevant as climate risks. A survey by Deloitte Brazil and Capital for Climate indicates an intention to allocate US$10.4 billion to nature-based solutions by 2027, managing 2.7 million hectares in restoration and sustainable production.
Forests, soils, and water systems cease to be external variables and become essential conditions for the functioning of the business model. Biodiversity is no longer a purely environmental issue: it has entered the economic logic. Companies that incorporate this vision reduce vulnerabilities and gain real planning capacity—in a world of climate shocks and increasing scarcity, long-term viability will be determined by the integrity of natural systems.
International Cooperation
The Global Cooperation Barometer 2026 (World Economic Forum) identifies climate, natural capital, innovation, and technology as the most dynamic drivers of global cooperation today.. Multilateralism is being reconfigured — and what is emerging are more flexible arrangements, public-private coalitions, and subnational partnerships as new drivers of collective action on strategic issues.
COP30, held in Belém, consolidated Brazil as a leading player and provider of solutions in bioeconomy, clean energy, and low-carbon technologies. The climate agenda has not lost momentum: it has changed leadership. Companies that understand this reconfiguration will not only be reacting to crises—they will be helping to shape the new rules of the system.
About CEBDS:
The Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) is a non-profit civil association that has been promoting sustainable development in Brazil since 1997 through collaboration with governments and civil society, as well as disseminating the most current concepts and practices on the topic. A voice for the business sector, CEBDS brings together approximately 120 of the country's largest business groups and is the Brazilian representative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), which operates in 36 countries and has 200 member companies worldwide.
