The Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, in partnership with World Resources Institute and Environmental Defense Fund, invites you to participate in the next event in our webinar series: Climate Change Solutions: Frontline Perspectives from Around the Globe. This exciting webinar series highlights the current state of climate change policy actions through speakers who provide unique insight into the latest policy developments in the world's highest greenhouse gas emitting countries. 

This month, the series continues with a discussion of Brazil's climate policy by Dr. Paulo Moutinho. Dr. Moutinho is the Executive Director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) and joins us to discuss Brazil's policies on climate change and deforestation. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

To view a recording of the webinar, go here.

Download: Climate Policy & Emissions Data Sheet - Brazil

Presentation Abstract

Brazil faces a unique situation. While more than 80 percent of its electrical power comes from renewable sources, the country is also historically the world's biggest carbon emitter from deforestation (0.15-0.2 PgC/year during the 90's, or 2 percent to 3 percent of global total). These emissions could be doubled by human-caused tropical forest fires in years of extreme drought and increased deforestation in coming decades (by 2050).

Paradoxically, over the last five years, Brazil has become the world's leading nation in both committing to and achieving GHG reductions. During the UNFCCC conference in Copenhagen (COP15), the Brazilian government announced its official goal of reducing GHG emissions, and at the end of 2009, the National Congress voted into law the National Policy for Climate Change (NPCC).

In 2010, during COP16 in Cancun, that goal was turned into a Decree (Nº 7.390), which regulates the NPCC and provides details on the path Brazil intends to follow in order to reach its targets by 2020. This includes an 80 percent reduction in Amazon deforestation -- the country's major source of emissions -- by 2020. Finally, there is a growing perception within Brazilian society that the economic and social costs associated with deforestation in the Amazon are much higher than those related to its conservation. Society is starting to perceive forest protection and deforestation reduction as important elements for climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and social and cultural protection of traditional communities and indigenous groups.

However, all of the above mentioned progress is threatened by a broad attack on the Brazilian Forest Code, escalating federal and private investments into deforestation-promoting infrastructure, the inevitable recovery of beef and soy prices, as well as the general global economic recovery. In the long term, Brazil's powerful agricultural sector is planning to double its agricultural and livestock output by 2020, threatening to undo the NPCC commitments. Considering these threats, it is urgent that Brazil chooses to ground the nation's development on a low carbon emission economy, in which the forest sector plays a fundamental role. But, is Brazil prepared to undertake this type of development? Do we really have a chance to extinguish deforestation in the Amazon permanently?

About the Speaker

Dr. Paulo Moutinho (Ph.D. in Ecology, UNICAMP) is the current Executive Director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM). Dr. Moutinho has been working over the past fifteen years in the Amazon, conducting studies related to the dynamics of deforestation and its effects on biodiversity, climate, and inhabitants of the region. Since 2000, Dr. Moutinho has participated in the international discussion on climate change under the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He has authored dozens of scientific articles and books and has co-authored the "compensated reduction of deforestation" concept, which pleads for international financial compensation to developing countries that make efforts to reduce deforestation and provides a basis for the development of the REDD+ mechanism. Dr. Moutinho is currently based at the IPAM office in Brasilia, working with the National Congress, the Federal Government, and the Amazon States to foster the implementation of the National Policy for Climate Change and to build an alternative model of low emissions development for the Amazon region that promotes forest and biodiversity conservation, ensures the rights of indigenous and traditional communities of their territories and traditional way of life, improves social, economic and environmental conditions, and allows the achievement of the country's emissions reduction target.

About the Series

Hosted and sponsored by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, in partnership with World Resources Institute and Environmental Defense Fund, the Climate Change Solutions: Frontline Perspectives from Around the Globe webinar series features ten speakers between September 2011 and April 2012. This series highlights the current state of climate change policy actions through speakers who provide unique insight into the latest policy developments in the world's highest greenhouse gas emitting countries: United States, China, Germany, Russia, India, United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, Japan, and Brazil.

The series is publicly available online and promoted to both domestic and international academic and policy communities, including governmental officials, think tank analysts, climate change advocates, professors, and students. The webinar format enables those interested in international climate change policy to access and participate in these presentations from anywhere in the world.

To register for the online event

1. Go to https://yaleenvirocenter.webex.com/yaleenvirocenter/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=666977455
2. Click "Register."
3. On the registration form, enter your information and then click "Submit".

Once the host approves your registration, you will receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event. A recording of the presentation will be posted online for public access after the event.

For assistance contact Ysella Edyvean at ysella.edyvean@yale.edu.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This WebEx service includes a feature that allows audio and any documents and other materials exchanged or viewed during the session to be recorded. By joining this session, you automatically consent to such recordings. If you do not consent to the recording, discuss your concerns with the meeting host prior to the start of the recording or do not join the session. Please note that any such recordings may be subject to discovery in the event of litigation.

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