+27,000
employees
+5,000
partner schools
3,000
support hubs
offering online & blended courses
+1 million
students
in on-campus and digital undergraduate programs
It is our understanding that it is only possible to generate value for Cogna, for our stakeholders, for society and for the planet if we are proactive in preserving the environment and combating climate change, assuming our responsibilities and engaging the public to act jointly in this field, always seeking eco-efficiency.
Among our main initiatives, the following stand out:
We understand that it is only possible to generate value for Cogna, our stakeholders, society, and the planet if we act as leaders in environmental preservation and the fight against climate change, taking responsibility and engaging people to work together in this area, always striving for eco-efficiency.
To carry out the inventories, the period from January to December of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 was considered, following the guidelines described in the GHG Protocol methodology and audited by a Verification Body (OV), which assigned a reasonable level of confidence – highest standard of assurance – certifying that inventories are materially correct and are a fair representation of the Company’s greenhouse gas data.
The emission sources present in scopes 1, scope 2 (location approach and purchase choice) and scope 3 (considering the categories of franchises, employee commuting, business travel, purchased goods and services, waste, transport and upstream distribution) were identified and quantified in tonnes of carbon equivalent.
The survey considered emissions from 5 corporate units, 1 distribution center, 2 high schools, 9 language school units, as well as emissions from 113 higher education units, including classrooms, laboratories, teaching hospitals, veterinary clinics and school farms with agricultural and livestock activities. Agricultural inputs, animal-related emissions and mechanized operations were also included.
Based on the diagnosis presented in this inventory, in alignment with Cogna’s Commitments for a Better World, Cogna reaffirms its corporate management strategy for GHG emissions that direct the Company’s activities towards a low carbon scenario.
| Scopes | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Scope 1 | 6,883.28 | 8,136.74 | 4,769.13 | 2,075.98 | 3,977.19 | 2,134.80 | 4,351.96 |
| Scope 2 (Location) | 2,168.24 | 2,719.12 | 1,751.13 | 1,799.69 | 4,658.77 | 2,232.46 | 3,156.61 |
| Scope 2 – Approach to purchasing choice | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Scope 3 | 49,372.27 | 49,719.17 | 42,001.68 | 23,698.49 | 29,650.60 | 23,590.20 | 12,297.61 |
| Total emissions | 58.423.79 | 60,575.03 | 48,521.96 | 27,574.16 | 38,286.56 | 27,957.46 | 19,806,18 |
2021: The Company’s increased maturity regarding climate change was materialized at the end of 2021 through the *Cogna Commitments for a Better World*, a manifesto in which we established the public goal of measuring the impacts of our operations on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as setting targets and commitments for mitigation and offsetting.
2022: In 2022, we published our first carbon inventory, covering 2021, in which we mapped the main emission sources, considering Scope 1 (direct emissions) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions from energy generation), in accordance with the GHG Protocol methodology. In the same year, we reported the Company’s emissions and commitments in the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Climate Change questionnaire, where we achieved a score of C.
2023: In 2023, we expanded our mapping to Scope 3 (which accounts for companies’ indirect emissions), in addition to beginning a retrospective development of inventories covering all three scopes for the previous four years (2019 to 2022). This extensive effort aimed to establish science-based emissions reduction targets (SBTi), as well as to deepen our understanding of business risks and opportunities, following the recommendations of the TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures). Maintaining our leadership and pioneering position in the sector, in 2023 we joined the UN Global Compact’s *Net-Zero Ambition Movement*, becoming the first education company to participate in the initiative.
In 2023, we committed to reducing the company’s total emissions by 50.4% over a 10-year horizon.
Scientific Research and Its Promotion as a Tool for Seeking More Sustainable Solutions
Environmental preservation is an urgent challenge: the erosion of ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity and climate change threaten human life and that of thousands of other species on the planet. In this context, scientific research and its promotion play a crucial role in the search for sustainable solutions and new ways of living in society. Our Programs act in line with regional development, whether in the generation of local knowledge, or in the quest to improve the quality of life in the surroundings.
Discover our programs:
Offered by UNIC (Cuiabá, MT), the program focuses on interdisciplinary activities aimed at assessing the structure of the physical, biological, and anthropogenic environment across different regional biomes, with an emphasis on the dynamics associated with climate change and its consequences for human health and environmental sustainability.
Since 2021, it has participated in the Postgraduate Development Program (PDPG) in the Legal Amazon.
Its research is published on the UNIC website (Environmental Sciences).
Offered by UNIDERP (Campo Grande, MS), the Master’s Program aims to train professionals to develop activities focused on sustainable development; foster engagement with communities, companies, and environmental regulatory bodies; deepen studies and knowledge to improve quality of life; and expand knowledge to support the formulation and implementation of public and private policies aimed at environmental conservation and regional development, with an emphasis on the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes.
Its research is published on the UNIDERP website (Environment and Regional Development).
The theses and dissertations resulting from the master’s and doctoral programs are available for public access, in Cogna’s repository of scientific production:
Several works originating from the programs make the pages of specialized scientific publications such as Elsevier and Science, expanding their dissemination. Among the examples, we highlight:
Higo J. Dalmagro, Michael J. Lathuillière, Paulo H.Z. de Arruda, Anisio A. Da Silva Júnior, Fernando da S. Sallo a, Eduardo G. Couto, Mark S. Johnson. Carbon exchange in rainfed and irrigated cropland in the Brazilian Cerrado. Agricultural and Forest Methodology ,Vol. 316, 2022
Guedes, N. M. R., Scherer-Neto, P., Fontoura, F.M., Ferreira, L.P., Ramalho, K., Lourenço, A.C.P., Carvalho, B.H.G., Ferramosca, M.R., Moreira, T.A. (2021). Macaws survive fires and provide hope for resilience – Stubborn survivors. Pantanal Science Magazine 6 (1):36-41.
*The Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit organization that promotes responsible forest management globally, seeking to ensure socially beneficial and economically viable practices.”