28 July 2009, Brazil

The Brazilian State Governments from Amazon Region signed a letter requesting to President Lula to support their proposal for including forests in carbon economy during the 15th Conference of Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Copenhagen, in December 2009. According to the letter, Brazil has taken little advantage of the opportunities provided by the global carbon market until now. Most of the Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) projects are related to emission reduction from energy projects because the Kyoto Protocol had not allowed the inclusion of forests in this new carbon economy, excluding native forests like Amazon of the treaty.
A new, post-2012 global climate agreement - which will be discussed at COP 15 in Copenhagen – could redefine the rules of international carbon markets. Thus, it could be a chance for change if it includes forest conservation, reforesting and measures to tackle poverty in the combat against climate change.

The Brazilian State Governments from the Amazon region stated that Brazil should lead the defence of this proposal. According to them, the carbon market is the best opportunity to finance the combat against deforestation and the promotion of sustainable development in the Amazon. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) is a methodologically viable mechanism and can result in social and environmental benefits to the region.

If the CDM rules of the Kyoto Protocol will be changed, Brazil could become more efficient on implementing carbon projects, creating new opportunities with great potential. The Governors presented three proposals for the defence of this position in the next climate negotiations:

• the creation of a task force to propose recommendations on the positioning to be adopted;
• the establishment of a governmental body responsible for formulating, implementing and managing the National System for Reducing Carbon Emission as well as for articulating and supporting the federal, state and municipal roles; and
• the organization of an Amazonian Governors Mission to Copenhagen, to provide a view of the Brazilian Amazon based on guidelines for a new international regulation on climate change.

For further information (in Spanish or Portuguese), visit the website of ICLEI's Latin America and Carribean Secretariat (ICLEI LACS).