From the Pantanal to the Airport: 7 ESG Stories of the Week

International certifications, community training, green credit, and corporate governance: the first week of May 2026 brought seven concrete signs that the ESG agenda has moved beyond mere aspiration to become a measurable practice in Brazilian and global companies.

Certifications That Raise the Bar in the Market

The week was marked by international recognition that reinforces the credibility of the corporate ESG agenda. For the second consecutive year, LONGi Solar won the Gold Medal from EcoVadis —the leading global platform for corporate social responsibility assessment. According to the company, it ranks among the top 2% of 150,000 organizations assessed worldwide. For the renewable energy market, the result signals that leadership in sustainability and industrial efficiency are not contradictory goals.

In the hospitality sector, the Tivoli Ecoresort Praia do Forte in Bahia has earned international ESG Pulse certification, becoming a benchmark for sustainable management in Brazilian tourism, as reported by Diário do Turismo. The certification evaluates environmental, social, and governance practices in an integrated manner, using a methodology that can be audited by third parties—exactly what investors and corporate partners have come to require in long-term contracts.

At the regional level, FIEC—the Federation of Industries of the State of Ceará —held the 14th edition of the ESG-FIEC Seal, recognizing companies such as Grendene, Cimento Apodi, Nova Eólica Cajucoco, and Harmony Empreendimentos. Three other organizations were recertified: Durametal, Naturágua, and Alimempro. Together, these examples demonstrate that ESG culture extends beyond large corporations and permeates the state’s industrial fabric.

“Ranking among the top 2% globally out of 150,000 companies assessed by EcoVadis demonstrates that sustainability practices and industrial leadership go hand in hand.” — LONGi Solar, 2026

Education as a Driver of the Green Economy

Two distinct movements—one community-based, the other academic—point in the same direction: the urgent need to train people for the low-carbon economy. GRU Airport is sponsoring the second edition of the “Gastronomy Is Also Art” project, organized by Ecotransforma SB in Guarulhos. There are 1,280 spots available in free sustainable cooking workshops, with a focus on women from the local community, as reported by Guarulhos em Foco. Participants learn how to make full use of food, manage costs, and set prices—skills that turn knowledge into income.

In addition to the cooking workshops, the project includes photography workshops for 1,800 students, activities involving 100 teachers, and an art exhibition at the airport terminal. The initiative illustrates how infrastructure companies—which have a significant local impact—can use their reach to drive measurable social change beyond their direct operations.

At the university level, Saint Mary’s University in Canada has launched a major in Sustainability Management at the Sobey School of Business. The program recognizes the growing demand for professionals capable of integrating environmental responsibility, social equity, and economic viability into corporate decisions, according to the university itself. For Brazilian companies that operate under international reporting standards—GRI, SBTN, CDP—this program signals the type of talent that will be available in the global market in the coming years.

Green Finance, Biodiversity, and Governance in Dialogue

BRDE—the Regional Development Bank of the Far South —participated in the LIFE Business and Biodiversity Coalition in Foz do Iguaçu, sharing its experience with green credit, as reported by Coluna do Meio. The event brought together companies, financial institutions, government agencies, and experts to discuss how nature conservation can drive sustainable business models. BRDE’s participation as a leader in green credit reinforces the role of development finance institutions in the transition to an economy that values natural capital.

“Biodiversity conservation and green finance are not mutually exclusive: they are complementary opportunities for companies that want to grow responsibly.” — LIFE Coalition, Foz do Iguaçu, 2026

In Bahia, the ESG Forum Bahia held its 5th edition, focusing on innovation, governance, and sustainable development, bringing together experts and leaders from the business sector, as reported by the Correio newspaper. The forum has established itself as one of the main venues for strategic dialogue on ESG in Northeast Brazil—and the fact that it has reached its fifth edition with growing relevance demonstrates that demand for technical and practical content on corporate sustainability remains high.

What This Means for Companies That Invest in Corporate Social Responsibility

This week’s seven news stories all point to one thing: certification without training cannot sustain the ESG journey. Companies that have earned certifications such as EcoVadis Gold and ESG Pulse did so after years of building internal processes, training teams, and structuring auditable data. For organizations still at the beginning of their journey, the GRI, SBTN, and CDP frameworks provide the roadmap—but implementation depends on people trained for the task, a need that initiatives like those at GRU Airport and Saint Mary’s are beginning to address.

In the financial sector, the expansion of green credit—as exemplified by BRDE’s involvement in the LIFE Coalition—opens up financing channels that depend directly on the quality of the borrowing companies’ ESG reports. This creates a structural incentive: those who report well have better access to credit. Governance forums, such as the ESG Forum Bahia, serve as accelerators of collective learning, reducing the time it takes for companies to adopt best practices.

This week’s agenda is no coincidence: it reflects a maturing ESG ecosystem in Brazil—with certifications that require evidence, education that trains the workforce, and finance that prices in environmental risk. Companies that ignore this trend not only miss out on opportunities to differentiate themselves; they also risk being left out of value chains that already require ESG compliance as a prerequisite for entry.

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NTICS Projetos connects companies, communities, and government agencies through projects focused on innovation, social impact, and urban regeneration. We specialize in designing and implementing social and environmental projects with sustainability at their core.