Enabling Brazil’s next chapter in corporate accountability
Published date: 27 August 2026
GRI launches new capacity building program in Brazil
GRI, the world’s leading provider of sustainability reporting standards, is scaling up its presence and activities in Brazil – in recognition of the country's growing strategic and economic importance for impact disclosure.
GRI has appointed Danielly A. Mello Freire as Country Lead for Brazil, to oversee a new program to be developed alongside Brazilian companies, institutions and stakeholders.
Brazil is among the world's most advanced markets for impact reporting, with 71% of large listed Brazilian companies using the GRI Standards. Extensive global analysis published in June placed Brazil as fifth highest among 132 jurisdictions for GRI adoption – and third by market capitalization.
Danielly’s appointment reinforces GRI’s established presence in the Latin America region. Based in São Paulo, she will focus not only on helping Brazilian organizations to disclose their impacts but also on integrating sustainability into their decision-making and business strategies.
GRI priorities for Brazil include increasing access to sustainability reporting learning and technical expertise, strengthening engagement with the private sector, and developing practical interventions that respond to the needs of companies at different stages of the reporting journey. GRI will also prioritize engagement with regulators and policymakers.
Brazil has shown real leadership in corporate transparency, as reflected by widespread use of the GRI Standards. The opportunity is to build on that good practice, helping organizations turn disclosure into decision-useful insights to inform actions that strengthen accountability, competitiveness, and long-term resilience. Expanding our presence reflects the strategic importance we place on Brazil, and Latin America more broadly. I’m delighted to welcome Danielly to GRI. She will help us respond to the needs of Brazilian reporters and partners, and ensure Brazilian voices continue to be heard in the global debate on the future of sustainability reporting.
Robin Hodess, CEO of GRIBrasil is not only one of the world's most advanced markets for sustainability reporting, it is also a country where businesses are increasingly recognizing that sustainability is a competitive advantage. Brasil has an extraordinary opportunity to lead the transition to a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economy. I am honored to join GRI at this pivotal moment and to help Brazilian companies translate reporting into real business transformation – creating value for the planet, society and shareholders.
Danielly A. Mello Freire, GRI Brazil Country LeadThe full set of GRI Standards is already provided in Portuguese. Online learning delivered through the GRI Academy is also being translated into Portuguese – Climate Reporting with GRI and IFRS Standards is now available, while the course Enhancing Sustainability Reporting for SMEs will launch in Portuguese later this year.
GRI’s reporting capacity building program in Brazil, including Academy course translation, is being supported by Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Brazil is Switzerland’s first trading partner in Latin America. GRI’s work will directly support responsible business practices among Brazilian SMEs. Strengthening local sustainability reporting capabilities is aligned with the promotion of strong environmental and social standards, as formalized in the recently signed free trade agreement between EFTA and Mercosul.
Hanspeter Mock, Swiss Ambassador to BrazilThe State of Sustainability Reporting: Global Trends in the GRI Standards 2025 analysed sustainability reporting by almost 15,000 large and listed companies across 132 jurisdictions, finding that Latin America is the among the regions with the highest rates of GRI reporting. In Brazil, GRI reporting organizations account for 73% of market capitalization, and 71% of the 194 Brazilian headquartered companies assessed.
The Reporting Matters Brasil 2025 research from CEBDS (the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development), found that 97% of 82 companies assessed use the GRI Standards, with 84% of reports externally assured and 75% applying a double materiality approach.
GRI’s global activities and priorities are supported by a Regional Network that includes GRI Latin America. It is headquartered in Bogotá with in-country staffing in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.