BRAZIL

WHY WE NEED TO ACT

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 emissions reduction commitments by any country in the world. Reductions already achieved 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.

Brazil Initiative Strategic Focus and Priorities

Brazil Initiative Overview in Portuguese:
Iniciativa Brasil

IN BRAZIL, we aim to contribute to the Brazilian government’s efforts to reduce deforestation in the Amazon region by 80%.

WHERE WE FOCUS

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.

The Brazil Initiative focuses on:

Strengthening and effectively monitoring implementation of the national climate change policy
Consolidating territorial management and sustainable production systems by rural communities
Accelerating the shift of cattle and soy production from expansion into native forests to intensification on previously deforested lands
Promoting sustainable, low-emissions development through existing and new economic instruments
Raising the profile of Amazon deforestation and related land use issues in the national media

BRAZIL INITIATIVE GRANTS LIST

BRAZIL

IN BRAZIL, we aim to contribute to the Brazilian government’s efforts to reduce deforestation in the Amazon region by 80%.

Updates:

Demystifying fluxes from forests

Journalism and human rights

Land tenure benefits