Controversies surrounding ESG, Corporate Governance, and Impression Management: Evidence from the Brazilian Market
Corporate sustainability; ESG framework; Brazilian market
In recent decades, corporate sustainability has consolidated itself as an important axis of discussions on corporate value and social responsibility, driven by the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into investment evaluation and decision-making practices (Nguyen et al., 2021; Velte, 2022; Orazalin & Mahmood, 2021). The ESG concept represents an evolution of the notion of corporate responsibility, incorporating ethical and non-financial dimensions into performance analysis and communication with stakeholders, in response to demands for transparency, ethics, and legitimacy (Samarakoon et al., 2025).
The ESG framework is composed of three interdependent dimensions: environmental (E), focused on mitigating ecological impacts and resource efficiency; social (S), related to diversity, equity, and working conditions; and governance (G), which encompasses the mechanisms of control, transparency, and ethical corporate conduct (Orazalin & Mahmood, 2021; Velte, 2022). The governance pillar is recognized as the most relevant for ensuring coherence between discourse and practice, functioning as an integrating axis for the other dimensions (Nguyen et al., 2021).