See below the position of the Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition on COP23, published this Friday (10).
COP 23 must consider the strategic nature of implementing climate goals in its negotiations
Sao Paulo, November 10, 2017 – The official negotiations at COP 23 will have the important mission of advancing the drafting of the rulebook for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, which will allow for the standardization of NDCs (climate targets) so that countries' commitments can be comparable. Brazil, like most of the signatory countries, is at this stage and, to make the Agreement a reality, will need to have a strategic plan for implementing its NDC.
Although ambitious, the Brazilian NDC is a viable goal for the country, which has already proven capable of reducing its GHG emissions by reducing deforestation rates in the Amazon between 2004 and 2012, simultaneously with a period of sustainable productivity gains in Brazilian agriculture.
However, Brazil is currently facing a period of socio-environmental setbacks and an increase in its CO emissions.2 by approximately 9%. Even though the latest data from INPE indicates a 16% drop in Amazon deforestation last year, the country is still far from meeting its climate target. Therefore, COP 23 will be an important moment for Brazil to align its discourse and practice, demonstrating that it will redirect its actions and public policies toward a low-carbon economy and following its leadership in international debates, encouraging greater ambition in both the Brazilian NDC and the Paris Agreement.
For this, the Coalition Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture believes that the implementation of the NDC should be understood as a low-carbon development agenda for Brazil, which brings economic opportunities, achieving positive results in agricultural production and environmental conservation, simultaneously, and not just as the fulfillment of a public commitment. To this end, the debates surrounding the implementation of the NDC at COP 23 must consider several aspects, which will be detailed below.
The low-carbon economy should bring fundamental social impacts, such as the creation of quality jobs, the generation and distribution of wealth, improvements in people's health, greater recognition and protection of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, and other benefits to society as a whole..
The transition to this new economy will require national and international economic mechanisms to structure new patterns of production and consumption. Unless regulated by public policies and instruments capable of inducing new drivers of demand and supply, market forces alone will not be sufficient to achieve climate goals and achieve economic transformation. These instruments include carbon pricing, payment for environmental services, REDD+, and so on.
Furthermore, monitoring actions are essential to measure the effectiveness of investments and understand the best way to direct them. Along with governance, broad transparency must be added, which will allow society to monitor and evaluate the progress of climate goals. Therefore, it is also necessary to ensure mechanisms for participation and engagement of different stakeholders.
Finally, the development, availability, access, and diffusion of technologies for new economic models must complete the transition to low-carbon development. Whether in agricultural production or forestry, innovation is the driver of a new economy, which must be accompanied by training and technical assistance for workers.
A Brazil Coalition hopes that COP 23 can deepen discussions on the implementation of the Paris Agreement, considering all the points discussed here as central to a national strategy. Several members of the movement will be present at the conference, contributing to and monitoring international negotiations and available to stakeholders in the climate, forest, and agriculture agendas interested in joining forces.
About the Brazil Coalition
The Brazil Climate, Forests, and Agriculture Coalition is a multi-sector movement formed to propose actions and influence public policies that lead to the development of a low-carbon economy, creating quality jobs, stimulating innovation, boosting Brazil's global competitiveness, and generating and distributing wealth throughout society. More than 150 companies, business associations, research centers, and civil society organizations have already joined the Brazil Coalition. coalition.com.br
