National Action in Brazil

At over 800 million hectares, the Amazon is the world’s largest river basin, supplying 20% of the planet’s surface freshwater and containing the world’s largest rainforest. While the basin extends over the borders of nine South American countries, most of it lies within Brazil.

 

Deforestation in the Amazon has been the largest contributor to Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.  Brazil’s explicit target of reducing Amazon deforestation by 80% by 2020 represents one of the biggest emission reduction commitments by any country in the world. Reductions already achieved in the past five year demonstrate that reaching this target is possible, but there are many challenges. Remarkably, deforestation has declined at the same time as Brazil’s production of agricultural commodities has increased. Whether that can continue to occur into the future remains unclear.

 

The Climate and Land Use Alliance supports efforts to reconcile these competing demands for land in ways that meet or exceed Brazil’s mitigation targets and related commitments to development, the rights of indigenous and other forest peoples, and the conservation of biodiversity.

 

Download Brazil Initiative overview

 

The Alliance’s Brazil Initiative strives to:

Accelerate the development and implementation of effective, efficient, and equitable public and private sector policies that deliver reductions in GHG emissions from forests and land-use equal to or exceeding the targets set by Brazil’s National Climate Change Policy in ways that promote the rights and well-being of traditional peoples and rural communities.

 

In 2012, we will prioritize our support for activities that:

  1. Safeguard the protection of Brazil’s native forests in ways that respect the rights of traditional peoples;
  2. Promote the adoption and implementation of an effective, efficient, and equitable National REDD+ Strategy;
  3. Strengthen the implementation of the Low Carbon Agriculture Plan and the National Amazon Deforestation Prevention and Control Plan;
  4. Promote sustainable, low-emission supply chains from rural lands;
  5. Implement the agenda of the Amazonian “green municipalities”; and
  6. Strengthen the effectiveness of the Amazon Fund.

 




 

 

 

The Alliance’s Brazil Initiative includes four component strategies:

  • Supporting public policies that reduce greenhouse emissions from land use and contribute to the growth and development of a low carbon economy consistent with Brazil’s National Climate Change Policy

  • Supporting and promoting capacity building for indigenous peoples and rural communities as rights-holders in, beneficiaries of and contributors to a low carbon economy

  • Supporting private sector initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use

  • Enhancing collaboration between philanthropic and public donors on common objectives and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation