Reputation for the Transition

The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) is, first and foremost, about the climate – and it must remain so. But it has also become an expanded arena for competing narratives, visibility, and influence. With the Conference taking place in Brazil, it acquires symbolic dimensions that extend beyond the climate agenda, and it is essential that companies recognize that being present matters, but does not replace the ongoing obligation to deliver quality products, meet consumer expectations, and align words with actions.

In this context, reputation ceases to be merely a reflection of conduct and becomes an indicator of collective trust. It is an indispensable asset for companies seeking to transition legitimately to a low-carbon economy.

Sectors traditionally exposed to social and environmental pressure – such as agribusiness, energy, and mining – are indeed on the front lines and still need to invest greater effort to shift public perception. But COP30 makes clear that reputation today is a networked phenomenon: acting alone is not enough; organizations must also coordinate, engage, and communicate with responsibility and coherence. Contemporary reputational risk lies not only in the action itself, but in the symbolic circulation of that action in an environment marked by misinformation, heightened scrutiny, and polarization.

Findings from the survey Corporate Communication and Engagement at COP30 (Aberje, 2025) help clarify the picture: although 52% of organizations have never participated in any climate conference, and only 18% plan to attend COP30 as official invitees, the vast majority already place sustainability among their strategic priorities (93%) and have formal structures in place to manage it (90%). Even among companies that will not be in Belém, 70% intend to engage with the climate agenda in 2025 – through internal initiatives, monitoring COP developments, or participating in regulatory processes.

The data show that reputation depends less on messaging and more on the capacity to coordinate. In this scenario, communication is the principal driver of reputational intelligence. Companies that grasp this new symbolic logic will be better positioned to navigate the transitions demanded by the climate crisis — with resilience and legitimacy. In this sense, COP30 is less a destination than a mirror: it reveals not only where we are, but how capable we are of constructing collective meaning in times of crisis.

Paulo Nassar

Hamilton dos Santos