Climate change is the greatest challenge facing the world today. It is a global issue that demands a global response.  

The challenges of a shift to a low carbon economy are evident in Brazil.

Brazil is an increasing influential world player.  It is the world’s fifth most populous country, fourth largest democracy and tenth largest economy.  Projected economic growth and increasing consumer demand will in future put pressure on its abundant natural resources.  Brazil has the world’s largest tract of tropical rainforest and it is estimated that 20 percent of the world’s available fresh water is found in the Brazilian Amazon.  Its biodiversity is globally significant.  Brazil is among a global list of 17 ‘mega-diverse countries’.

Brazil has the potential to play a key role to help the world reach an ambitious post-2012 agreement at UNFCCC negotiations in Copenhagen in December, and is an important UK partner on climate change issues.  Brazil recently launched a National Climate Change plan, which presented emission reduction commitments in crucial areas such as land-use change and deforestation (responsible for the largest part of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions), undertook to stimulate energy efficiency, maintain the high share of renewable energy, and encourage a sustainable increase in the use and supply of biofuels.

The UK Network in Brazil:

• Works with NGOs and governments to help develop policy frameworks to tackle climate change;
• Supports the mobilisation of business to design strategies in order to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy;
• Collaborates with research institutes to assess the social and economic impacts of climate change, providing important data to guide national policy making;
• Works with media and civil society to engage different sectors of the population in the debate around climate change.