Brazil Joins the Climate and Clean Air Coalition

In April 2023, Brazil became the 80th state partner to join the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in its efforts to combat short-lived climate pollutants (SLPCs). The CCAC is a voluntary partnership of over 300 state and non-state stakeholders committed to concrete action to reduce SLCPs, including methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons.

Represented through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Brazil was immediately active as a coalition partner, joining the First Ministerial Conference on Low-Emissions Food Systems in Santiago, Chile, and the Regional Workshop For Latin America And The Caribbean On Reducing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants And Improving Air Quality. Brazil has also expressed its intentions to play a prominent role in the CCAC’s Agriculture Hub.

Over 90% of Brazil’s methane emissions come from the Agriculture (76%) and Waste (15%) sectors. At COP26, Brazil committed to contributing to the global methane emissions mitigation target of 30% by 2030 and the country has also joined the Global Methane Pledge and ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

These actions underlie Brazil’s recognition of the importance of methane abatement measures in its contribution to fighting global warming. Brazil’s engagement is backed by the national Plan For Adaptation And Low Carbon Emission In Agriculture (ABC+) which runs to 2030. The ABC+ plan recognises the need for action on mitigating methane emissions, while also protecting food security and livelihoods involved in agricultural production.

To achieve the targets of the ABC+ plan Brazil must expand the use of sustainable agricultural technology across 72 million hectares by 2030, which would lead to an emissions mitigation of 1 billion tonnes of C02 equivalent. Two of the eight measures required to achieve these goals relate to agricultural methane in beef production – manure management and intensive termination.

“Our experience in tropical agriculture and science means Brazil wants to set an example of leadership within Latin America and other tropical zones. Agriculture is our main source of methane emissions and represents an opportunity to make a significant contribution to reducing short-lived climate pollutants,” said Renata Miranda, Secretary of Innovation, Sustainable Development, Irrigation and Cooperatives, at Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

Brazil has already begun hosting CCAC-supported projects in the agriculture sector, beginning with developing potential national strategies for decarbonisation of the agriculture sector. This project represents an important contribution to filling current gaps in data related to the potential benefits of more efficient treatment of biomass and crop residues. Brazil’s 2022 National Zero Methane Program aims to reduce methane emissions, promote a carbon market for methane, and support sectors such as agriculture and livestock, particularly by incentivising in the production and use of biomethane and biogas. Brazil also has national plans to reduce other SLCPs  such as black carbon in transport and household energy, and HFCs.

“Existing technologies can achieve significant reductions in emissions in the agriculture sector. Brazil’s intention to pursue expansion of these technologies and act as a leader for other Latin American and tropical agriculture industries is an important boost in momentum in the sector” said Martina Otto, Head of the Secretariat of the Clean Air and Climate Coalition.

By joining the CCAC, Brazil will be connected to learning and collaboration opportunities – as well as advanced scientific data – supporting action to reduce SLCPs and achieve numerous benefits for the climate, human health, ecosystems and food production. “We warmly welcome Brazil’s active participation in the CCAC and look forward to expanding the range of scalable projects to reduce SLCPs we work on together,” added Otto.

The CCAC’s works to raise awareness, mobilize resources and political will, and support concrete action in key sectors such as agriculture, waste, transport and cooling, among others. Reducing SLPCs can prevent more than 2.5 million premature deaths from air pollution every year, and reduce the rate of near-term warming, allowing more time for people and the planet to adapt to a warming climate. These actions must go hand-in-hand with deep and persistent cuts to carbon dioxide and other long-lived greenhouse gases if we are to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.