Petrobras’ Energy Transition Discourse

This article contributes to research on fossil fuel companies’ communication strategies through an analysis of Petrobras's energy transition discourse. It focuses on the documentary series A Brazil of Energy and examines how meanings of the energy transition are constructed, negotiated, and contested through symbolic and discursive elements in text and image. The analysis reveals a “micropolitics of language,” as Petrobras legitimizes its expansion into the Equatorial Margin by portraying the transition as a project of community empowerment, scientific innovation, and reaffirmation of its historical role as Brazil’s flagship company. Metonymic strategies tie Petrobras to Brazil’s nature, geography, and relatively clean energy mix, while also invoking national pride in technological achievements. Although the company echoes global oil majors in its emphasis on development and “technological salvationism,” it stands apart through a pronounced appeal to Brazilianness. This framing positions Petrobras as a national actor advancing a localized form of climate delay discourse.