BRASILIA – In a significant policy reversal, Brazil announced on Thursday its decision to restore the stringent greenhouse gas emissions commitments it made in 2015 under the Paris Agreement, commitments which were diluted during the reign of the former President, Jair Bolsonaro.
The announcement, which signals Brazil's renewed commitment to global climate action, came from the country's Committee on Climate Change. This committee is a consortium of 18 government ministries that collaborate on the nation's climate policies. During the pivotal committee meeting in Brasilia, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin stated, "Brazil is a major actor in helping the planet in this challenging moment."
This recalibrated stance will soon be conveyed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the preeminent international entity promoting worldwide action against climate change. The UNFCCC closely monitors each country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) – a reflection of their commitment to reducing emissions in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Under Bolsonaro's leadership, Brazil twice recalibrated its NDC calculations, leading to a more lenient stance on emissions. Notably, a report by the Climate Observatory, a coalition of myriad environmental and social organizations, disclosed that Bolsonaro's 2021 revision would allow an additional 73 million metric tons of CO2 emissions by 2030, pushing Brazil’s target under the Paris Agreement to a staggering 1.2 billion metric tons.
In response to Brazil's renewed commitment, the Talanoa Institute, a think tank dedicated to climate policy, stated that while the restoration is a commendable first step, it's essential for Brazil to set even more ambitious targets moving forward. The Institute further suggested that the emissions target formulation process should be more inclusive, enabling a broader societal participation, in stark contrast to the previous administration's clandestine decision-making.
Brazil, recognized as the world's fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter, contributes to nearly 3% of global emissions, as per data from Climate Watch, an initiative by the World Resources Institute. Alarmingly, nearly half of Brazil's emissions emanate from the rampant deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. During Bolsonaro's tenure, this destruction soared to a 15-year peak. Bolsonaro's policies, which prioritized agribusiness expansion, often came at the cost of environmental preservation.
In a positive departure from this approach, the current President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has demonstrably reduced deforestation rates by 48% in the period between January and August. This is seen as a substantial step toward restoring Brazil's position as a responsible global actor in the fight against climate change.
This decisive shift in Brazil's climate policy has attracted international attention and is viewed as a crucial move in the global effort to curtail climate change. As nations around the world grapple with the escalating climate crisis, Brazil's decision to not only revert to its original commitments but also possibly enhance them further could inspire other nations to reinforce their climate initiatives. With the world at a climate crossroads, Brazil's leadership is timely, urging collective action for a sustainable future.
©GlobalCO2.uk
