Brazil’s sustainable finance scene has grown a lot, thanks to the country’s unique role as a protector of important ecosystems and a leader in renewable energy. ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing in Brazil now includes climate change mitigation, nature-based solutions, energy transition infrastructure and social impact. This phenomenon has drawn both Brazilian asset managers and global institutional capital.
This curated list shows five well-known investment firms in Brazil that are leaders in ESG and impact investing. We selected these companies due to their unique approaches, market presence and commitment to measurable sustainability outcomes. They show the range of Brazil’s sustainable finance ecosystem. This overview gives you useful information about Brazil’s ESG investment landscape, whether you are an institutional investor looking for climate-aligned opportunities, a family office looking for impact strategies, or an entrepreneur coming up with sustainable solutions.
How We Selected the Top ESG Investment Firms in Brazil
We evaluated the featured firms on this list using the following general criteria:
- Depth of ESG Integration: A promise to include environmental, social and governance factors in every step of the investment process.
- History of putting money into projects that have measurable effects on sustainability in the field of sustainable finance
- Presence in Brazil: penetration in all sectors and regions, including the Amazon, the Atlantic Forest and industrial centers
- New ideas for climate finance, reforestation, energy transition, or social inclusion are examples of innovative impact strategies.
- Adopting frameworks like the Paris Agreement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to be in line with global standards
List of Top 5 ESG Investment Firms in Brazil
- A10 Invest
- GEF Capital Partners (GEF Latam)
- Lightrock
- Régia Capital
- re.green
A Closer Look at Each ESG Investment Firm
1. A10 Invest
Marcelo Paiva and Ana Cabral started A10 Invest in Brazil in 2013. The company focuses on the lithium-ion battery supply chain and the energy transition sector. As of January 2026, the company had about $600 million in assets under management and was a leader in upstream and midstream investments that are important to the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
Key Investment Areas
- The supply chain for lithium-ion batteries includes mining, processing and chemical conversion.
- Minerals that are very important, like graphite, nickel, rare earths and minerals that are very important for the economy, like phosphate and potassium
- Companies in the growth stage that have a big effect on the climate
- Active investments that can make improvements to operations and sustainability
Ideal Investor Profile
Institutional investors, family offices and development finance institutions are seeking concentrated exposure to the energy transition through a specialized, hands-on manager with proven operational expertise.
Notable Strengths or Differentiators
A10’s most important difference is that it is the controlling shareholder of Sigma Lithium, which made the world’s first large-scale net-zero carbon mining operation possible. The company’s method combines purpose with profit, producing huge financial returns while also having measurable social benefits, such as huge increases in jobs and income for local communities. Tier-1 global business schools and international climate conferences often use A10 and its portfolio companies as examples. They have been at the Conference of the Parties (COP) every year since 2019.
Contact Information
Website: www.a10invest.com
2. GEF Capital Partners (GEF Latam)
GEF Capital Partners is a climate-focused investment firm based in São Paulo that works in Latin America through its GEF Latam platform. Anibal Wadih, the founder and managing director of GEF Latam, has more than 25 years of experience in sustainable investing. The company manages a fully climate-aligned portfolio that looks for both mitigation and adaptation opportunities.
Key Investment Areas
- Solar and wind energy generation, as well as ways to make energy use more efficient
- Projects for a circular economy and managing waste
- Strong infrastructure, such as cutting-edge systems for managing water and sewage
- Sustainable farming and bio-inputs that make us less reliant on chemicals from other countries
Ideal Investor Profile
Institutional investors, development finance institutions and pension funds are seeking rigorously vetted climate investments with robust impact measurement and reporting frameworks.
Notable Strengths or Differentiators
In Brazil, GEF Latam has one of the most organized ESG integration processes. We use our tools, independent third-party due diligence that meets IFC Performance Standards and ongoing post-investment monitoring through dedicated governance processes to thoroughly check the climate compatibility of every potential investment. The company’s partnership with Proparco has helped it build trust and get more money from organizations like the Japan International Cooperation Agency and BNDES. Right now, about 75% of GEF Latam’s capital goes to climate mitigation and the other 25% goes to adaptation. The company wants to change this balance as climate risks grow.
Contact Information
Website: www.gefcapitalpartners.com
3. Lightrock
Lightrock is a global private equity platform that focuses on impact investing. It has a large and growing presence in Brazil. The company supports entrepreneurs and businesses that use scalable, technology-enabled business models to solve important social and environmental problems. Lightrock announced a partnership with Proparco in January 2026 to help ComBio, Brazil’s top company for making industrial steam from biomass.
Key Investment Areas
- Renewable thermal energy and the process of removing carbon from industry
- Solutions for healthcare and technology in education
- Digital transformation facilitators that yield beneficial societal effects
- Climate technology and making the most of resources
Ideal Investor Profile
Growth-stage companies are seeking patient capital and strategic guidance, while institutional investors are seeking diversified impact exposure across sectors and geographies.
Notable Strengths or Differentiators
Lightrock’s investment in ComBio, along with those from Proparco, DEG and SPX Capital, shows that it can handle complicated, high-stakes deals. Since 2008, ComBio has stopped about 4 million tons of CO₂ from being released into the air. Each year, it stops about 670,000 tons, which is the same as 17 days of emissions from the city of São Paulo. Gustavo Verdelli, a partner at Lightrock, says that the company is focused on proven models that have a measurable effect on the environment and long-term partnerships that speed up Brazil’s energy transition. Lightrock’s global network and strict impact framework give portfolio companies access to the best practices and growth capital from around the world.
Contact Information
Website: www.lightrock.com
4. Régia Capital
Régia Capital is an asset manager based in Brazil. It was created through a strategic partnership between BB Asset Management (the investment arm of Banco do Brasil) and JGP, one of Brazil’s most respected independent asset managers. Régia Capital made history in 2026 when it said it would only invest in companies that showed they were taking real steps to stop deforestation in their supply chains. This was the first time a Brazilian asset manager publicly put stopping deforestation at the top of their list of things to look for when making investment decisions.
Key Investment Areas
- Public stocks and bonds with fixed rates
- Companies in all industries that have supply chains that don’t cause deforestation
- Transition finance options that fit with sustainable farming and raising animals
Ideal Investor Profile
Investors seeking mainstream asset management products with integrated deforestation and nature-related risk screening, such as pension funds, institutional investors and family offices, are the ideal target audience.
Notable Strengths or Differentiators
Régia Capital’s policy against deforestation represents a significant shift in the management of Brazilian assets. Bruno Bernardo, an ESG analyst, says that deforestation is a systemic risk to financial markets. The company uses high-quality public data tools like Forest IQ, Forest 500 and Trase to look at and lower the risks of deforestation and conversion. WWF-Brasil helped the company with the technical side of making its policy and it follows international guidelines like the Deforestation-Free Finance recommendations and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) LEAP approach. Régia Capital shows that mainstream asset managers can include strict environmental standards without losing size or performance.
Contact Information
Website: www.regiacapital.com.br
5. re.green
The Brazilian startup re.green has a big goal: to restore one million hectares of forest in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes. Economist Thiago Picolo and scientist Bernardo Strassburg started re.green, which uses scientific rigor and scalable business models to create high-quality carbon credits while restoring biodiversity and helping local communities.
Key Investment Areas
- Restoration of large areas of forest and ecosystems
- Making and selling carbon credits
- Agroforestry systems and land use that lasts
- Preserving and keeping an eye on biodiversity
Ideal Investor Profile
Impact funds, climate-focused institutional investors, development banks and corporations are seeking nature-based solutions for carbon removal and biodiversity enhancement.
Notable Strengths or Differentiators
The Brazilian business press calls re.green’s group of investors a “dream team.” It includes Gávea Investimentos (founded by former Central Bank president Armínio Fraga), the Moreira Salles family’s family office, Dynamo Asset Management and Guilherme Leal, who co-founded Natura. The company has gotten a lot of money from BNDES, including an R$ 187 million contract in early 2024 and another R$ 250 million from the Climate Fund (Fundo Clima). The combination brings the total amount of public credit to R$ 437 million. In February 2026, big international climate funds like TPG Rise Climate started to pay attention to re.green. This evidence shows that Brazil’s nature-based solutions are becoming more well-known around the world. The company buys or leases land and partners with smallholders and businesses. By selling carbon credits from restored areas, it generates revenue for investors.
Contact Information
Website: www.re.green
How to Choose the Right ESG Investment Firm in Brazil
- Write down your impact thesis: Please make it clear if you care more about climate change, nature-based solutions, social impact, or a mix of these. Each company that is profiled has its areas of focus in terms of sectors and themes.
- Check the impact measurement. Rigor: Look at how companies define, track and report their effects. Check to see if it fits with global frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the IFC Performance Standards, or the TCFD recommendations. The structured approach of GEF Latam and the academic recognition of A10 show two different but equally valid ways to improve credibility.
- Evaluate Risk-Adjusted Returns: ESG investing in Brazil spans venture capital (re.green), private equity (Lightrock), specialized real assets (A10) and public markets (Régia Capital). Assess which risk-return profile aligns with your portfolio construction.
- Think about how partnerships work: Some companies, like Lightrock and GEF Latam, have active partnerships with their portfolio companies, while others give investors a wider range of options through funds. Find out how involved you want to be.
- Check for Regulatory Compliance: Make sure that any potential companies are properly registered with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) and, if necessary, follow ANBIMA’s rules and codes for asset management and ESG integration.
- Check the track record and references: Ask for case studies, talk to executives at portfolio companies and look at records of environmental and social outcomes. Investors in Brazil have become more picky, asking for proof of “solidez” (solidity) instead of just positive stories.
- Understand the Fees and Terms: Impact funds often charge fees that are similar to those of traditional private equity funds, but these fees can vary depending on the size of the fund, its strategy and its co-investment terms. Ask for detailed offering documents and do a lot of research.
Brazil’s ESG investment ecosystem has a wide range of options, from specialized climate funds to mainstream asset managers with strict environmental policies to new platforms for nature-based solutions. A10 Invest, GEF Capital Partners, Lightrock, Régia Capital and re.green are five companies that take different approaches to combining sustainability with making money.
A10 Invest has a lot of experience in the energy transition supply chain and is a world-class operator. GEF Capital Partners provides strict climate alignment and structured impact management for both mitigation and adaptation. Lightrock helps companies grow by combining global reach with local knowledge to solve important problems. Régia Capital demonstrates that mainstream asset management can take the lead in investing without harming the environment. As an investable asset class, re.green pioneers large-scale restoration, which draws money from both domestic and foreign investors.
Each organization contributes uniquely to Brazil’s position as a central destination for long-term green finance—a role reinforced by the country’s hosting of COP30 and its leadership in international forums, including the G20. The BNDES climate fund initiative, which selected seven funds, including Pátria, Vinci, Mombak and Generation, to receive up to R$ 4.3 billion in anchor capital, further underscores the institutional momentum behind sustainable investing in Brazil.
We urge readers to look into these companies more, talk to their teams and figure out which partnership best fits their financial and impact goals. Brazil’s natural resources, renewable energy sources and growing institutional sophistication make it a good place to continue to lead in ESG investing.
FAQ
1. What services do ESG investment firms in Brazil typically offer?
Brazilian ESG investment firms offer a wide range of services. These include private equity and venture capital funds that focus on climate solutions, reforestation and social impact; specialized credit funds for energy transition and sustainable infrastructure; public equity and fixed income strategies that involve ESG screening; impact measurement and reporting that follows global standards; and active ownership through board participation and guidance for portfolio companies. Some companies, like A10 Invest, also give investors a lot of exposure to certain value chains, like those for critical minerals and battery materials.
2. How much capital is typically required to invest in ESG funds in Brazil?
Different types of funds and strategies have very different minimum investment requirements. To invest in private equity or venture capital funds, you usually have to put in between R$ 1 million and R$ 5 million. But for public market strategies, fund platforms may offer lower minimums. Institutional investors, family offices and development finance institutions usually make personalized commitments based on how big the fund is and what its investment thesis is. Some funds also let larger investors invest in other funds along with the main fund.
3. How do I know if an ESG investment firm in Brazil is credible and reliable?
Getting permission from the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) and following ANBIMA codes are two important signs. Others are having a history of deploying and exiting funds, having third-party verification of impact metrics, having partnerships with well-known development finance institutions (like Proparco, DEG, or BNDES), clear reporting that follows global standards (SDGs, TCFD, IFC Performance Standards), and being recognized by academic institutions or international climate forums. Talking to current limited partners and looking over audited financial statements will help you feel better.
4. Are ESG investment firms in Brazil suitable for international investors?
Yes, Brazil’s ESG investment ecosystem is open to foreign investment. A10 Invest, GEF Latam and Lightrock are just a few of the companies that have strong ties to global development finance institutions and institutional investors. Brazil’s location on the world map, its leadership in renewable energy and its hosting of COP30 make it more appealing to climate finance. International investors should check with qualified legal and financial advisors to make sure they know where the fund is based, what the tax implications are and what the foreign exchange issues are.
5. What should I prepare before contacting an ESG investment firm in Brazil?
Clearly explain your investment thesis and impact goals, including the sectors, areas and risk-return levels you want to focus on. For institutional investors, knowing about your organization’s ESG policy, past experience with impact investing and the timeline for making decisions helps companies make proposals that are relevant. Due diligence usually means being able to look at financial statements, records of past performance and references. It is also a good idea to hire local legal and tax advisors who know a lot about cross-border investment structures.
6. How long does it usually take to see results from ESG investments in Brazil?
The investment strategy affects how long it takes to get results. Private equity and venture capital funds that focus on climate and nature-based solutions usually have 7 to 10 years to help businesses grow, scale and make a difference. Credit funds may have shorter terms and predictable income streams. Public market strategies make it easier to get cash every day and see how well things are doing right away. People usually report impact metrics like avoided emissions, hectares restored, or social beneficiaries reached every year and the total results grow over the life of the fund.
