Briefing Note: Digital Footprint of Agribusiness, Fossil Fuel and Mining Companies in Brazil

The report examines the digital footprint of 15 major Brazilian companies in the agribusiness, mining, and fossil fuel sectors, finding a wide disparity in the volume of sustainability communications. While all analyzed companies acknowledge climate change, the report identifies significant signs of greenwashing, including the use of vague language and green imagery to mask negative environmental impacts. It highlights a contradiction between corporate narratives—which frame these sectors as 'part of the solution'—and actual records, such as Petrobras, Vale, and Shell being among the top 10 companies most fined by Ibama between 2000 and 2025. Additionally, the report notes the use of targeted Meta advertising and influencer partnerships, particularly by Petrobras, to amplify sustainability messaging to younger audiences.

• The volume of sustainability-related communications varies significantly across the 15 analyzed companies. For example, Marfrig had 64.3% of its articles/posts related to sustainability, while Raízen and Petrogal had 0.0%.
• The report identifies evidence of greenwashing, characterized by the use of nature-themed imagery and vague claims that lack detailed evidence or substantial investment relative to company revenues.
• There is a stark contrast between corporate sustainability branding and environmental records. Petrobras, Vale, and Shell are among the top 10 Brazilian companies most fined by Ibama from 2000 to 2025, with Petrobras recording 2,705 fines and Vale 100.
• Companies employ specific narratives to frame their industries as essential to the climate solution: agribusiness firms emphasize food security and carbon capture, while fossil fuel companies highlight global energy demand and the necessity of their role in the energy transition.
• Petrobras utilizes aggressive digital advertising and influencer strategies, spending an estimated US$1,111,900 to US$1,401,608 on Meta Ads between March 2024 and March 2025, with a surge of 72 ads published during COP29 targeting younger audiences.

APA

Climate Action Against Disinformation (n.d.). Briefing Note: Digital Footprint of Agribusiness, Fossil Fuel and Mining Companies in Brazil. https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Briefing-Note-Sustainability-Claims-of-top-15-Brazilian-Agribusiness-Fossil-Fuel-Mining-Companies-By-Revenue.pdf

Chicago

Climate Action Against Disinformation. Briefing Note: Digital Footprint of Agribusiness, Fossil Fuel and Mining Companies in Brazil. n.d. https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Briefing-Note-Sustainability-Claims-of-top-15-Brazilian-Agribusiness-Fossil-Fuel-Mining-Companies-By-Revenue.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Action Against Disinformation |title=Briefing Note: Digital Footprint of Agribusiness, Fossil Fuel and Mining Companies in Brazil |url=https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Briefing-Note-Sustainability-Claims-of-top-15-Brazilian-Agribusiness-Fossil-Fuel-Mining-Companies-By-Revenue.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateactionagainstdisinformationndbriefing, author = {{Climate Action Against Disinformation}}, title = {{Briefing Note: Digital Footprint of Agribusiness, Fossil Fuel and Mining Companies in Brazil}}, institution = {Climate Action Against Disinformation}, url = {https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Briefing-Note-Sustainability-Claims-of-top-15-Brazilian-Agribusiness-Fossil-Fuel-Mining-Companies-By-Revenue.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }