Brazil says it’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 59% and 67% by 2035, relative to 2005 levels.
Why it matters: The host of next year’s global climate summit, Brazil is the eighth-biggest economy in the world and one of the biggest emitters. It’s also home to large parts of the Amazon rainforest — an important carbon sink that’s under threat from loggers, farmers, and other human activities.
The latest: Brazil is one of only a handful of major economies to have presented more ambitious climate targets at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.
The country’s new 2035 goal “shows that it is ready to tackle the climate crisis head-on — as long as the country strives for the highest end of its emission reduction target,” says Karen Silverwood-Cope, climate director at the World Resources Institute’s Brazilian unit.
Getting to a 67% emissions reduction by the middle of the next decade would put the nation on track to reach net zero by 2050, but this would require “bold domestic policies to halt deforestation and promote restoration, decarbonise its energy sector, and foster green industry,” Silverwood-Cope says.
Achieving the upper end of the target would boost the economy and jobs market and limit climate impacts, though the government would still need to ensure communities are more resilient to extreme weather events.
“On the other hand, if Brazil only meets the low end of its emissions reduction target, the country will veer well off track from delivering on its climate goals,” Silverwood-Cope says. “As host for next year’s climate negotiations, President Lula has a responsibility to lead by example and aim high.”
Brazil is already a leader in clean energy. Renewables met 90.2% of the country’s power requirements in 2023, while low-carbon nuclear comprised another 2.2% of the mix, according to data collated by research group Ember. The International Energy Agency expects renewables to get to around 95% of the mix by 2030.
The country is looking to use its abundant renewable energy resources to kickstart a green hydrogen economy.
