Brazil submits its Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement

On December 8, Brazil submitted to the UN (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - UNFCCC) its new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, approved on the same day by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change (IMCCC). The NDC is Brazil’s main international commitment on climate change. 

Based on the reference year of 2005, Brazil’s NDC reaffirms the country’s commitment to reducing total net greenhouse gas emissions by 37% in 2025 and officially takes on the commitment to reducing Brazilian emissions by 43% in 2030. The NDC also expresses the indicative objective of achieving climate neutrality (net-zero emissions) in 2060. This long-term objective might be reconsidered in the future, according to the functioning of the market mechanisms under the Paris Agreement, and the possibility of considering a more ambitious long-term objective is not ruled out.

Brazil’s NDC is one of the most ambitious in the world thanks to its four main elements. First, it refers to absolute emissions rather than relative factors, such as carbon emission intensity and historical growth trends, as is the case in most developing countries’ NDCs. Second, it addresses the economy as a whole and not only specific sectors. Third, the magnitude of its targets (37% and 43%), which are above those of many developed countries Fourth, it includes an intermediate target for 2025[vp1] [HTS2] , forcing a low-emission path throughout the decade and not only in 2030.

The announcement of the indicative objective of achieving climate neutrality in 2060 is also noteworthy. Since it is not a required element of an NDC, the inclusion of this goal is another sign of Brazil’s engagement in the environmental field.

Brazil’s NDC is available at www4.unfccc.int/sites/NDCStaging/Pages/Party.aspx?party=BRA