What WRI Brasil does

WRI Brasil is the Brazilian affiliate of the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global non-profit research organization. Established in 2005 and headquartered in São Paulo with a secondary office in Porto Alegre, it employs 51–100 staff and operates as a registered non-profit entity. Its mission is to enable a sustainable development model that delivers a more equitable society and ecosystem conservation through integrated, low-carbon solutions grounded in scientific rigor and partnership-based implementation.

The organization is structured around three core programs — Cidades (Cities), Clima (Climate), and Florestas (Forests) — supplemented by flagship projects including Nova Economia da Amazônia (deforestation-free bioeconomy in the Amazon), Eletromobilidade no transporte coletivo (zero-emission bus deployment in public transport), Cities4Forests (urban-forest integration), and Regeneração Natural Assistida em larga escala (large-scale natural assisted regeneration in the Brazilian Amazon). Its technology base is a research-driven methodology covering climate, cities, forests, land use, and agriculture; no proprietary software platforms or AI/ML systems are documented. It serves three primary customer segments: city and municipal governments seeking sustainable urban solutions, climate action stakeholders focused on decarbonization and climate finance, and forest and land-use stakeholders engaged in Amazon conservation and restoration.

WRI Brasil's business model is grant-, donation-, and partnership-funded rather than commercially priced. It distributes its work through direct engagement with municipal and federal governments, coalition partnerships with organizations such as WBCSD and the e-Dutra coalition, and a public-facing publications and media apparatus including newsletters, social media channels, and a press room. Recent strategic activity, including participation in COP30-aligned transport decarbonization coalitions targeting 1,000 electric trucks daily on the Rio–São Paulo corridor by 2030, indicates an expanding role in convening multi-stakeholder sustainability initiatives across Brazil and the broader Global South.

Name

WRI Brasil

Legal name

WRI Brasil

Website

https://wricidades.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WRI Brasil is the Brazilian affiliate of the World Resources Institute, a non-profit research organization that designs and convenes science-based sustainable urban, climate, and forest solutions for municipal governments and climate and land-use stakeholders across Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental & Sustainability Research Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management (BPADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland Conservation & Easement Management (AFAMAKAI), Forest Health Management (Pest, Disease & Invasive Species Control) (AFAMAAAE)

Keywords

• Sustainable development research
• Climate policy consulting
• Urban mobility solutions
• Forest conservation programs
• Climate financing coalitions

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WRI Brasil is a non-profit research organization that implements sustainable solutions for urban development and mobility, climate action, and forest conservation in Brazil. It delivers science-based programs (Cidades, Clima, Florestas) and projects such as Nova Economia da Amazônia, Eletromobilidade no transporte coletivo, Cities4Forests, and Regeneração Natural Assistida, working through coalitions with governments, businesses, and civil society to scale transport decarbonization and Amazon conservation.

Product overview

WRI Brasil operates as a sustainable development organization organized around three core programs (Cidades/Cities, Clima/Climate, and Florestas/Forests) and multiple project initiatives. The programs work in an integrated manner to deliver low-carbon, science-based solutions: the Cities program addresses urban challenges including housing and mobility; the Climate program focuses on decarbonization investments and climate financing; and the Forests program targets Amazon conservation and land restoration. Key projects include Nova Economia da Amazônia (Amazon new economy), Eletromobilidade (electric mobility for public transport), Cities4Forests (urban-forest integration), and large-scale Natural Assisted Regeneration in the Amazon. These programs and projects are implemented through strategic partnerships to achieve scalable transformation across Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cidades (Cities) Program Urban sustainability program focused on solving the global housing crisis, improving urban resilience, and enhancing quality of life in Brazilian cities through research-driven solutions.
• Clima (Climate) Program Climate program addressing decarbonization investments, climate financing coalitions, and solutions for reducing carbon emissions across transport, maritime, and aviation sectors.
• Florestas (Forests) Program Forest conservation program focused on large-scale natural assisted regeneration in the Brazilian Amazon, biodiversity protection, and sustainable land use practices.
• Nova Economia da Amazônia Studies and actions to create new opportunities for deforestation-free economic development and diversification in the Amazon, benefiting local communities and Brazil.
• Eletromobilidade no transporte coletivo Electric mobility project focused on implementing zero-emission buses in public transport, generating economic and environmental benefits for cities.
• Cities4Forests A city-led forest movement to improve urban resilience, human well-being, and protect biodiversity and water resources through forest conservation initiatives.
• Regeneração Natural Assistida em larga escala na Amazônia brasileira Initiative to accelerate restoration of degraded areas, enrich species diversity in the region, and generate employment and income for communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000 electric trucks daily deployment target by 2030 along Rio de Janeiro–São Paulo corridor
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2025At COP30 in Brazil, WBCSD's Transport & Mobility members announced a coalition to accelerate transport decarbonization investments before 2030, with WRI Brasil participating in regional partnerships targeting 26,000+ electric vehicles and 200 MW of renewable energy across India, Mexico, and Brazil.
• e-Dutra CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2025Brazil announced the e-Dutra coalition to deploy 1,000 electric trucks daily along the Rio de Janeiro–São Paulo corridor by 2030, focused on maritime and aviation sectors requiring an estimated $5.8 trillion combined by 2050 to meet decarbonization goals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Imaflora: Imaflora is a Brazilian NGO focused on sustainable forestry, agriculture certification, and land-use research. It is comparable to WRI Brasil's work on forest conservation standards and sustainable commodity supply chains.
• WWF-Brasil: WWF-Brasil is the Brazilian arm of the World Wildlife Fund, working on Amazon conservation, climate, and sustainable cities. It directly competes with WRI Brasil for donor funding, policy influence, and corporate partnerships in Brazil.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): WRI is the parent organization of WRI Brasil and operates the same global research and policy mandate on climate, cities, forests, and land use. WRI Brasil is essentially the Brazil country office of WRI, executing the same theory of change with localized programs.
• Conservation International (CI-Brasil): Conservation International's Brazil program focuses on forest protection, sustainable development, and biodiversity finance. It is a directly comparable international NGO with similar Amazon and bioeconomy programs competing for the same institutional donor base.
• The Nature Conservancy (Brazil): TNC's Brazil office works on forest conservation, restoration, and sustainable finance in the Amazon and Cerrado. It is a comparable international NGO with similar science-based, partnership-driven model targeting Brazilian biodiversity and climate outcomes.
• Imazon: Imazon is a Brazilian research institute producing authoritative data on Amazon deforestation and land use. It is directly comparable to WRI Brasil's evidence-based forestry and land-use research function and is widely cited in the same policy debates.
• ICLEI South America: ICLEI is a global network of local governments for sustainability, with active South American operations focused on urban climate action, mobility, and resilience. It directly overlaps with WRI Brasil's Cidades program in serving municipal governments on sustainable urban solutions.
• Instituto Socioambiental (ISA): ISA is a major Brazilian NGO focused on Amazon conservation, indigenous rights, and sustainable development. It operates with very similar programmatic priorities to WRI Brasil's Forests program and competes for the same donor and policy influence.

Broad incumbents

• C40 Cities: C40 Cities is a global network of megacities working on climate action, with transport electrification and urban resilience initiatives that overlap WRI Brasil's Cidades program. It is a broader incumbent with deeper city-government reach but narrower geographic specialization.
• ClimateWorks Foundation: ClimateWorks is a major global climate philanthropy that funds many of the same organizations and coalitions in which WRI Brasil participates. It is a broader incumbent in climate grantmaking with overlapping grantees and thematic priorities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wribrasil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/wribrasil
• Facebookfacebook.com/wricidades
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wri-brasil
• Instagraminstagram.com/wribrasil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WRI Brasil