Copersucar makes use of energy from the waste product of its production of sugar cane fuel alcohol. In this way it prevents the emission of Greenhouse gases equivalent to 5% of the emissions from fossil fuels in Brazil. Actions such as this enable the country to obtain credits under the conditions of the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism, thus enabling it to market its carbon credits brought by the production and use of clean and renewable fuel.

On the environmental question, according to the Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas (FIPE) the benefits from using alcohol fuel should generate an amount of between 4.8 and 5.7 billion US$ from 2001 to 2010 – figures which correspond to the damage caused by pollution if fossil fuels were used instead of alcohol. The cooperative would be contributing US$ 1 billion of this figure.

Using biomass energy and low demand technology in relation to input and fossil fuels, the energy balance of alcohol becomes even more positive – between 9.2 and 11.7 units of energy produced for each unit consumed in production.

Copersucar also works with biological pest control, is responsible for the lowest soil erosion figures throughout the Americas, and supports programs of reforestation with native plants, water treatment that outputs water of better quality than when collected. It also produces biodegradable plastic from sugar.