Climate Change Policy of Brazil

Introduction• Brazil has:

– 6% of world’s surface– 27% of world’s population– 1.3% growth rate– 5.5 million square kilometers of forest– 20% of world’s biodiversity– .5% deforestation rate per year– 15% of world’s fresh water supply

• Brazil’s economy is the 10th largest in the world

GHG Emissions

• 8th Largest Emitter

• Yearly emissions in 2000 were 851.1

• 2.53% of total emissions in the world

• 5 tons of CO2 per capita

• GHG Intensity of economy is 262.6 tons of CO2 equivalent per million $int. The world’s average is 533.4

Green House Gas Emissions

Energy Use

Fossil Fuels- 38%

Hydropower- 33%100% renewable

Accounts for 95% of Brazil’s electricity

Biomass- 23%70% renewable

Derived from sugarcane/ethanol production, charcoal, and other industrial processes

Energy Use

Deforestation

• 11.8% of Legal Amazon has been deforested

• Accounts for 71% of Brazil’s CO2 emissions

• CO2 emissions from deforestation may average 250% of Brazil’s annual energy-related emissions

Climate Change Program

• Emerged after Brazil ratified the UNFCCC in 1994

• Began in 1996, with funds from the GEF

• Creation of Interministerial Committee on Global Climate Change in 1999

• Created commitments for developing countries, based on common but differentiated responsibilities

Brazil’s Concerns about Climate Change Policy

Who should reduce, and when?Brazilian Proposal- base responsibility on historical

emissions, not current annual emissions

Creation of MechanismsProposed the Clean Development Fund, which became the basis for the creation of the CDM

Land-use change and deforestationWants to count the Amazon as a carbon sink

Does not want to use forest preservation projects to generate GHG emissions reductions

International Negotiations

• Hosted the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992• First country to sign the UNFCCC in 1992, entered into

force in 1994• Took a proactive stance as a representative of the

developing world• The “Brazilian Proposal” proposed reductions based on

historical emissions• Proposed the Clean Development Fund, which later

became the CDM. Aimed to achieve sustainable development, reach

emissions reductions goals in order to stabilize global temperatures, and help assist developing countries comply with targets

Commitments

-Develop and periodically update national inventories of anthropogenic emissions

-Produce description of steps taken to implement the convention

-Promote and cooperate in development, application, diffusion, and transfer of technologies, practices, and processes that control, rduce, or prevent anthropogenic GHG emissions

-Promote research and systematic observation and development of data related to climate change and its effects

-Dissemination of information about climate change and an increase of publications in Portuguese

Other Domestic Actions

• Clean energy mix

• Ethanol program

• CDMs

• Dissemination of information through the internet