ESG and the Greenhouse Gas Neutralization Plan in the State of Espírito Santo: an Analysis of Project Hierarchization

Objective: to identify the degree of convergence between the order of priorities for the execution of projects included in the Espírito Santo Greenhouse Gas Decarbonization and Neutralization Plan and the Social, Environmental and Governance criteria. Methodology: to present the aforementioned classification, the AHP model was used because it is the best known and most widely used multicriteria model. The 22 projects in the plan, which are subdivided into four thematic areas (Energy & Industries, Waste, Transportation and Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use), were classified within their respective thematic areas according to the economic, regulatory, technological and social criteria. Originality/relevance: to use the concepts of sustainable finance and Environmental, Social and Governance together with the Hierarchical Process Analysis methodology to prioritize the projects included in the Espírito Santo Government's Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Plan. Results: low-carbon industry, urban mobility, CO2 removal from the atmosphere and energy efficiency projects were predominant within their thematic areas, which shows that the plan is in line with the environmental improvement initiative, but that the effects of its implementation need to take into account economic and social aspects. Contributions: the work contributes by presenting the hierarchical organization of projects based on scientific and theoretical criteria that can facilitate the process of choosing the priority and most impactful projects for reducing air pollution more efficiently and with greater impact in the medium and long term.