Riscos ESG em relatórios de sustentabilidade: uma análise para empresas do setor elétrico do índice de sustentabilidade empresarial (ISE)

Abstract

The discussion of socio-environmental issues on a global scale began with the UN conference in 1974. Then, after Brundtland’s report publication in 1987, the name for economic development with socio-environmental concerns was defined: sustainable development. Since then, investors have shown apprehension beyond profit and sought sustainable practices in companies, which in turn adopted them to remain an attractive option to capture these investments, arising, thus, the ESG investments. One of the UN's sustainable development objectives is affordable and clean electrical energy, in the context of the Brazilian electrical sector - which is divided into generation, transmission, distribution and commercialization - it is important that companies are aligned with ESG practices. A problem that emerges in this context is how to select companies and, with this in mind, the Corporate Sustainability Index was created in Brazil, which seeks select companies out listed on the Brazilian stock exchange (B3) that have ESG concerns. Due to the importance of ESG Investments, it is necessary that the companies that make up the ISE have a method to face ESG risks, and that is what this research seeks to answer: how Brazilian electrical companies, which make up the ISE, have addressed ESG risks in your sustainability reports? To answer this question, bibliographic and documentary research as well as descriptive statistics were used. The main results were: risks and indicators that are under the company's control are reported in greater detail than those that are outside the company's control. One hundred percent of companies recognize the risks of corruption, diversity, workplace safety, biodiversity and climate-related risks, as well as other risks that were not recognized by 100% of companies, such as the movement of people and discrmination occurrences. Regarding indicators, 100% of companies used a number of reports for corruption risks, a broad assortment of employees for differences risks, a number of accidents for security risks, areas protected from risks to biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions. There are indicators that were not used by all companies, such as water stress and the number of acidentes wiyh the community. 66.7% of companies hired risk assessment companies. It was possible to notice that companies seek to highlight sustainable practices that avoid risks and do not report ESG risks.