How can Brazil reach Net Zero emissions?

Brazil is a megadiverse country hosting between 15 and 20% of the Earth’s biological diversity while providing food for approximately 10% of the world’s population. Brazil’s ecosystems are home to thousands of plant and animal species and deliver a variety of ecosystem services with multiple benefits for people and nature.

Brazil’s rainforests are a site of global concern for leaders working to deliver Net Zero carbon emissions. They are a globally important carbon storage and sink, yet with deforestation, forest degradation and climate change their ability to sequester large amounts of CO2 seems to be in decline and could instead become a carbon source.

This project uses economic land-based models to design a country-specific credible Net Zero pathway for Brazil that also supports biodiversity, wildlife conservation, human quality of life and food security. It is also looking at Nature-based Solutions in economy-wide climate mitigation efforts to quantify the potential for land-based carbon dioxide removal to contribute to achieving Net Zero in Brazil.

Why this Sprint? Why now?

Brazil is currently seeing record levels of deforestation, in April 2022 alone 390 square miles of the Amazon rainforest were lost to logging and tree clearing for development and agricultural land. But change is possible, at COP 26 in 2021 Brazil not only raised its ambition on greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to cut them by 50% by 2030, but also signed an international pledge to halt deforestation at the same conference. Brazil also faces significant political decisions in 2022, with a general election upcoming in October.

Understanding a credible path to Net Zero could enable real change for Brazil and a greater awareness of the true potential of Nature-based Solutions globally.