Sustainability for whom? : A qualitative content analysis of sustainability reports from mining companies in Brazil and Sweden, viewed through a decolonial ecology lens.

Sammanfattning

Previous research indicates that Indigenous peoples are often marginalised in discussions about environmental issues. This thesis analyses how Indigenous peoples are depicted in modern corporate sustainability reports and how these depictions relate to larger colonial power dynamics. It investigates how mining companies represent Indigenous communities and whether these portrayals reinforce or challenge colonial structures, comparing contexts in Brazil and Sweden. The research is based on a qualitative content analysis of CSR and ESG reports from four mining firms, two from each country. The theoretical approach draws on decolonial theory, focusing on power, knowledge, nature, and being, and uses a comparative, mostdifferent systems design. Results reveal that modern corporate sustainability reports mainly frame sustainability as a technical and managerial task, depicting Indigenous peoples primarily as stakeholders or beneficiaries rather than as political agents with land and knowledge authority. Findings also show similarities in reporting standards across nations, but differences in how legitimacy and social licence to operate are constructed through sustainability reporting. These findings highlight the limits of global sustainability frameworks and show how CSR and ESG practices can perpetuate colonial structures.