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I focused on the country of Brazil. I learned a lot about the plans they proposed during COP28.

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A source I used for my talanoa dialogue. This website highlights a timeline of whats been going in Brazil.

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Note: We have updated our assessment to reflect the latest NDC submission made by Brazil on 3 November 2023, including our data download. The remainder of this assessment is from our 2022 evaluation and will be updated soon. Brazil is laser-focused on boosting the use of fossil gas in the power supply to combat hydropower shortages caused by droughts in 2021, despite the far more promising performance of other renewable energy technologies in the country, such as wind and solar.
Brazil's long-term energy plans see an expanded role for fossil gas and oil, with the production of both types of fossil fuel set to increase in the coming decade. Investment in the exploration and production of fossil fuels could reach over USD 500bn over the same period. Unless additional policies are put in place, emissions in the energy sector will resume a rising trend as Brazil's economy recovers from the impacts of COVID-19, locking Brazil into a more carbon intensive energy system and leaving much of its considerable potential for renewable power generation untapped.

Deforestation in Brazil has increased and is expected to continue to rise in the coming years. Deforestation in Brazil increased in 2020 and 2021, largely due to illegal mining activity and cattle ranching. In addition, weak law enforcement and illegal activities facilitated access to protected lands. Without any change to current policies, emissions are expected to continue increasing, again leaving Brazil far from achieving its climate targets. Preliminary reports indicate that by mid-2022 deforestation has hit records in the Amazon area.

There was a significant step forward in July 2022 when the Supreme Court declared the climate fund must be reactivated, and recognised the Paris Agreement as a human rights treaty - making Brazil the first country to do so.

Brazil's presidential election will take place in October 2022, and among the candidates there is a different degree of commitment in terms of climate mitigation action. There is strong support among most candidates and voters to reduce deforestation - in contrast to President Jair Bolsonaro's current policies. In debates, climate change has not yet been discussed in much detail. No candidate has presented a concrete proposal to substantially change current efforts to reduce emissions in Brazil's energy and industry sectors. As a first step, the president-elect should review the commitments made in Brazil's latest NDC, and increase climate ambition and action to align with 1.5˚C compatible pathways, and ensure a governance structure with the necessary resources to implement the required policies and actions in all sectors.

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Note: We have updated our assessment to reflect the latest NDC submission made by Brazil on 3 November 2023, including our data download. The remainder of this assessment is from our 2022 evaluation and will be updated soon.

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A source I used for my talanoa dialogue. This article explained the cooperation between Brazil and the United States.

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A source I used for my talanoa dialogue. This website featured environmental policies and laws in Brazil.

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Inventory emissions data available shows that the land use and forestry sector had been by far the largest source of GHG emissions in Brazil since the early 1990s. This picture changed significantly after 2004, when effective anti-deforestation policies, including the National Forest Code, the Action Plan for Deforestation Prevention and Control in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm) and the Cerrado (PPCerrado), were implemented and resulted in a reduction on LULUCF emissions of about 86% between 2005 and 2012 (Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation of Brazil, 2016a).

Brazil's remarkable progress in forestry emissions mitigation observed since 2004 has stopped, with deforestation and resulting emissions increases picking up speed again since 2013. The year 2019 saw an area of over one million hectares deforested in the legal Amazon - 34% larger than in 2018, and 120% larger than the historic low reached in 2012 (INPE, 2020).

An even greater area is estimated to have been deforested in 2020. A recent study revealed that deforestation in 2020 grew around 10% from 2019, reaching around 11,088 km ² (Silva Junior et al., 2021). Recent data from Imazon's Deforestation Alert System suggests that deforestation between August 2020 and July 2021 was equivalent to 10,476 km ², 57% more than that between August 2019 and July 2020. According to Imazon, in July 2021 alone, 2,095 km ² were deforested, 80% more than in the same month in 2020 (Imazon, 2021).

This leaves Brazil far off-track from meeting its National Policy for Climate Change (PNMC) commitment to reduce deforestation by 80% from 1996-2005 levels by 2020 (implying a maximum of 0.4 Mha or 4,000 km ² deforested per year) (Observatório do Clima, 2019b, 2020b). On the contrary, the most recent data indicates an ongoing upward trend in deforestation rates that keeps worsening.

The rising trend in illegal deforestation and environmental offences is linked to an accelerated weakening of Brazil's institutional and legal frameworks for environmental protection. Weak land tenure has enabled land grabbers to occupy and, in many cases, deforest undesignated public forest.

Of the region's two million square miles, 50% is designated public land, 22% is private land, and 29% consists of public land with no official designation (Brito, 2021). In 2019, 35% of deforestation took place in such public lands (Observatório do Clima, 2020a). If private registrations of public land are legalised, deforestation in these areas alone could lead to the emission of a further 1.2 - 3.0 GtCO ₂ (Azevedo-Ramos et al., 2020).

In the past, loopholes in Brazil's legislation have given land grabbers the opportunity to register ownership of illegally grabbed land, and a proposed measure from December 2019 would legalise registrations of public land grabbed before December 2018. This measure has experienced considerable push-back from investors, NGOs and even public prosecutors as it would likely trigger high rates of conflict and deforestation in protected forest and indigenous reserves. However, ruralist legislators have sought to push it through the fast-track legislation process put in place for COVID-19 recovery measures (IMAZON, 2020; Observatório do Clima, 2020a).

Meanwhile, the Bolsonaro administration has continued to cut budgets for environmental monitoring and enforcement, leading to a deterioration in the ability of national and local authorities to monitor, inspect, and prevent environmental crimes. The COVID-19 pandemic has further weakened enforcement capacities, as enforcement personnel have been encouraged to self-isolate, reducing their numbers on the ground (Observatório do Clima, 2020a).

Under pressure from international investors, the Bolsonaro administration has sent in military personnel to boost enforcement capacity, undermining the authority of experienced environmental agents, and the transparency and effectiveness of the operation has been called into question (Unearthed, 2020).

In late September 2021, the government introduced the Brazil Cost Reduction Project through the Ministry of Economy, with proposals for rolling back various protections enacted under the Ministry of the Environment, to "reduce the costs of doing business" in the country. The proposal includes stripping protections covering the Atlantic Forest biome, reducing the requirements to conduct an environmental impact assessment and cancelling consultations with agroforestry enterprises (Observatório do Clima, 2021).

Other measures that have weakened Brazil's environmental protection frameworks include:

Revoking a policy from 2011 that required authorisation by the federal environment agency (IBAMA) for the export of timber, therefore allowing the export of timber without inspection (Mongabay, 2020b)

Stripping the protected status of indigenous lands that have not yet had their protection confirmed (April 2020) (Imprensa Nacional, 2020)

Transferring the body responsible for identifying, demarcating, and registering Indigenous territory to the Ministry of Agriculture (The New York Times, 2019)

Easing rules for converting environmental fines to an alternative form of compensation (Climate Policy Initiative, 2019b; Observatório do Clima, 2019c)

Changes in the forest code to extend deadlines for enforcement measures (Climate Policy Initiative, 2019a)

Abolishing most committees and commissions for civil participation and social control in the Federal Government (Observatório do Clima, 2019d)

Revoking a zoning regulation for the sugarcane industry that restricted expansion to degraded land and pasture, opening the door for sugarcane cultivation in the Amazon (Mongabay, 2019)

Past experience has shown that Brazil could be a world leader in tackling deforestation, if the right policies were put in place, and the Bolsonaro administration is under increasing pressure both internationally and domestically to tackle deforestation as part of a green COVID-19 recovery (Mongabay, 2020a).

Brazil has already missed its 2020 deforestation target. If the Brazilian government continues to roll back environmental policies and fails to adequately enhance enforcement capacities, Brazil will miss its NDC target of zero illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 2028 by a wide margin (Rochedo et al., 2018; Soterroni et al., 2018).

The international community has shown its concern for the amazon forest but will need to strengthen support and efforts due to its global importance. At the last Summit of the Americas, the USA and Brazil announced a working group to fight illegal deforestation.

Given the key role of the Land Use and Forestry sector in Brazil's NDC and the huge global importance of its forests for environmental services, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration, the Brazilian government urgently needs to strengthen mitigation action in this sector, instead of weakening it.

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Inventory emissions data available shows that the land use and forestry sector had been by far the largest source of GHG emissions in Brazil since the early 1990s.

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How Is Brazil addressing climate change?

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How Is Brazil addressing climate change?

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A resource I used to further understand Brazil's plan

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Brazil’s 2021 climate emissions highest since 2005, report says

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Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions rose more than 12% in 2021 largely due to surging deforestation in the Amazon rainforest under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, a non-profit report said on Tuesday.

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A video I watched to learn about Brazil's geography

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From Dubai to Your Living Room: COP28 Delegation Week 1

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Connected to this post is the content I watched to learn more about COP28

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Teach Climate Network: Using the Power of Education to Create Climate Action in your Community

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COP28 Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS) Launch

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WRI will take part in the COP28 Local Climate Action Summit, the first Summit hosted by the COP Presidency in recognition of the critical role local leaders play in reducing emissions, addressing climate risk and supercharging national efforts to move further and faster on climate progress.

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Watch Live

Streaming from Dubai on December 1 at 4:00 pm GST, 12:00 pm GMT, 7:00 am ET

Plenary Agenda
1 December 2023

António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General

H.E. Dr Sultan al Jaber, COP28 President & UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change

Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies & Bloomberg L.P., Mayor of New York City, 2002-2013

H.E. Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai

Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Mayor Abigail Binay, Makati, Philippines

Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris, France

Governor Yuriko Koike, Tokyo, Japan

Mayor Claudia López, Bogotá, Colombia

Mayor Eduardo Paes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, France's Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21, and COP22 UN High-Level Champion for Climate Action

Breakout Agenda
2 December 2023
8:30 - 11:00: Mayors Innovation Studio (Invite Only)

An exclusive, mayors-only event that provides mayors the unparalleled opportunity to discuss innovative strategies and insights with each other and with world-class subject-matter experts. This year's Mayors Innovation Studio will focus on youth community engagement for climate action.
9:30 - 11:00: States and Regions: Driving Local Climate Action

State, regional, and provincial climate leaders will discuss ​how to unlock greater climate ambition using regional legal and policy powers​, improving the flow of climate finance to local solutions, and designing effective multi-level partnerships.

11:30 - 12:15: PART I: Critical Impact of Mayors & Governors

Inclusive Strategies for Local Climate Adaptation and Resilience

Finance at the Forefront of Climate Action: Reimagining Subnational Climate Finance

A Necessary Evolution: Integrating Multi-Level Climate Action into the Paris Agreement

13:30 - 15:15: PART II: New Solutions & Finance for Local Action

Leading Action and Investments for Clean Air and Climate Infrastructure

Dollars and Sense: How Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) Can Scale the Green Transition

A Just Local Energy Transition and Nature Positive Cities

​SCALE: Advancing Ambitious Multi-Level Climate Action​​​​​

15:45 - 17:00: PART III: Coalitions of High Ambitions Actors

America Is All In: Leveraging Local Lessons for National Impact

Unlocking Local Action and National Ambition: Multi-level Partnerships for Accelerating Climate Action

A Danish Climate Journey: Local Action Delivering 76% GHG Reductions through Multi-level Partnership

Brazilian Leadership: Amplifying Climate Impact by Working Together

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COP28 Local Climate Action Summit | Bloomberg Philanthropies

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The Local Climate Action Summit at COP28 in Dubai will recognize the critical role of local leaders in the COP process

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Welcoming the progress made on negotiations during the two-day conference, the COP28 President thanked those who'd put "pen to paper" on the initial elements of the global stocktake, noting ""we are getting closer to convergence in some critical areas."

In particular, he urged Parties to make clear pledges on finance, calling for certainty on the 100 billion, increased contributions to the Green Climate Fund, pledges to the adaptation fund and early pledges on loss and damage.

He urged Parties to come to COP ready with solutions on additional key interventions on adaptation, mitigation and finance.

He said: "We should use every single day between now and the beginning of COP to make progress on all elements...everything we do from this point must be about accelerating".

He also urged parties: "Let's get the traction for action. Solidarity for humanity."

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: - COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber has used his concluding address at the Pre-COP conference to urge ministers and delegations from around the world to accelerate the progress made on negotiations during the conference, emphasizing that there is no time for further delays on climate action.

During the two-day conference, the 70 attending ministers and 100 country delegates discussed the political aspects of the COP28 negotiations, in a crucial moment to build consensus and set the tone for COP28.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Al Jaber told delegates "Over the last two days I have seen and heard a lot that gives me hope. Real conversations are taking place on the difficult issues. We are getting closer to convergence in some critical areas."

In particular, he thanked those who had "put pen to paper" to outline the initial, essential elements of a decision on the Global Stocktake, which will provide the basis for the negotiations.

However, the majority of his speech was focused on urging Parties to continue to engage and drive consensus and action ahead of COP28. He stated: "We need parties to step up as early as possible so we can facilitate the work towards a decision. This decision needs to send clear, practical guidance to the world on how to close all the gaps revealed by the Global Stocktake."

A major focus was the COP28 President's call for Parties to "step up and make the necessary commitments" on climate finance, which he described as "one of the biggest obstacles to progress".

Referring to the need for a "new ecosystem" to cut inequality for the Global South, he urged Parties to deliver institutional reform and focus on practical market mechanisms to lower risk and attract private investment.

However, the COP28 President was most emphatic on the need for Parties to restore confidence and trust that climate finance is actually being delivered; "This means certainty on the 100 billion, increased contributions to the Green Climate Fund, pledges to the adaptation fund and early pledges on loss and damage."

The COP28 President continued to remind Parties that progress in loss and damage represents "taking action for the world's most climate vulnerable people".

He said, "we must deliver on the fund and funding arrangements for loss and damage [...] We must build bridges on the three key issues: the institutional arrangements... governance and sources of funding".

The remainder of Dr Al. Jaber speech outline his expectations of Parties across additional, crucial areas including fast-tracking the energy transition and driving forward progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation.

On the former, the COP28 President stated, "It is no longer a question of if the energy transition will happen, but when, how fast and how can we do it in a way that leaves no one behind" and noted that "as we set global targets, nations must be free to set their own pathway to getting there".

Noting that there continue to be "strong views about including language on fossil fuels and renewables in the negotiated text", Dr. Al Jaber told delegates "I invite you to take this conversation forward. We must jointly figure out the next steps. And we must come to COP28 ready with solutions."

On adaptation, Dr. Al Jaber noted concern that adaptation is not receiving a fair share of climate finance and that the adaptation process "has lost its way,".

To remedy this, he called for a "unifying destination [...] the equivalent of a guiding star like the 1.5 degrees has been for mitigation" and called on Parties to act on recommendations that had emerged from Pre-COP to break down the Global Goal on Adaptation into themes to make it easier to track and deliver progress and come to COP28 with solutions.

In concluding the remarks, Dr. Al Jaber reminded those present of the work ahead. He said "We should use every single day between now and the beginning of COP28 to make progress on all the elements. We are at a decisive point on our journey to ensuring successful outcomes at COP28, which the world expects. So, everything we do from this point must be about accelerating." He continued "That means working on advancing the negotiations on the actual decisions, and on the foundations for action."

He told delegates: "We can show we are serious by turning up in a few weeks' time fully prepared to agree the agenda on Day One". He continued, "Let's get the traction for action. Solidarity for humanity."

Pre-COP is a preparatory meeting of ministers and negotiators ahead of the main climate conference. This year's event had record attendance with more than double the normal number of participants for a Pre-COP.
-Ends-

COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.

As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake - a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.

The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a "leave no one behind" approach to inclusive climate action."

The four pillars of the COP28 Presidency's Action Agenda are fast tracking the energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people, lives, and livelihoods, and underpinning everything with full inclusivity.

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COP28 Presidency continues to build momentum at Pre-COP with only 30 days to go

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Speaking at the conclusion of the official Pre-COP conference, COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said "there is no time for delay" on climate action and called on Ministers to "step up and make the necessary commitments" to deliver

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Looking for the right time to start a conversation about climate change in your classroom? Consider having it during COP28, when the United Nations annual Climate Change Conference will vault climate change to the top of everyone's newsfeed. For two weeks, from November 30th to December 12th, the world's heads of state will meet in Expo City Dubai to discuss ideas, prior commitments, and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It will also bring together youth activists, artists, advocacy organizations, and business owners from the private sector from all over the world who are committed to fighting climate change together.

What is COP28? COP stands for Conference of the Parties, where the "parties" refers to the 198 nations, including the United States, that agreed to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992. This year marks the 28th time countries have gathered under the Convention; hence, COP28.

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Teaching COP28: What Is It and Why Is It Important?

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Teach your students about the importance of foreign relations and climate policy with this comprehensive COP28 guide.