Climate change mitigation actions in Brazil

Abstract

This article presents and discusses the main findings of a study focusing on climate change mitigation actions (MAs) in Brazil. Brazilian government presented to the 15th Conference of the Parties of the Climate Change Convention held in Copenhagen in 2009 (UNFCCC COP15) voluntary mitigation goals: a reduction in between 36.1 and 38.9% of the country's green house gases (GHG) emissions projected to 2020. If Brazil meets its voluntary goals, its GHG emissions in 2020 will be 6–10% lower than in 2005. The main research question addressed in this study is what conditions should Brazil meet to achieve its pledge? It discusses how MAs are approached, conceptualized and planned in Brazil. It describes how the country identifies MAs and the contextual framework used to define them. It also maps the initiatives underway in the country, and analyses the issues faced for its successful implementation, as well as for future approaches. The main conclusion is that Brazil seems to be in a good position to meet its voluntary mitigation goals up to 2020, as avoiding deforestation will take up the bulk of the emission reduction. After 2020, Brazil will face a new challenge: combine economic development with low GHG energy-related emissions.

• mitigation action
• implementation
• financing
• NAMA
• MRV
• mitigation scenarios
• land use
• land use change and forestry
• energy policy

Notes

The MAPS programme is a collaboration between a number of developing countries, promoting best practice in mitigation action planning and scenarios development, by supporting in-country processes informed by research. It seeks to share and deepen knowledge through collaboration between Southern experts supporting government programmes.

It is worth highlighting, as mentioned before, that if the goals are met, GHG emissions in 2020 will be 6–10% lower than in 2005, regardless the baseline pathway.

This section is extracted from La Rovere and Poppe (2012)

For details see Gutierrez (2011).

Total funding needs to implement all MAs are still to be estimated after the completion of the sectoral plans currently under discussion. For a mitigation cost assessment of the Brazilian NAMAs see La Rovere et al. (2011) and for general cost curves for the country, see De Gouvello et al. (2010).

For details on avoided deforestation costs, see Margulis, Dubeux, and Marcovitch (2011) and Seroa da Motta (2005).

For details on governance, see Seroa da Motta (2011).

For a full discussion on the reduction of deforestation rates in Brazil see Assunção, Gandour, and Rocha (2012).

For a detailed discussion of ethanol competitiveness and oil prices, see Cavalcanti, Szklo, Machado, and Arouca (2012).