The conclusion was reached during the plenary session "Long Term and Decarbonization," held on the fourth day of the Latin American and Caribbean Climate Change Week. The session began with a minute of silence for the Amazon fires, which have already consumed 21,000 hectares of forest.
The head of Climate Change at Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Amal Lee Amin spoke about the bank's work through a decarbonization platform. According to the expert, the planet needs to be carbon neutral between 2050 and 2070 to keep global warming limited to 1.5°C, as recommended by the IPCC for global safety.
"A carbon-neutral world is possible by following five pillars: decarbonizing electricity generation, electrifying the fleet, improving the public transportation system, zeroing net deforestation and reforestation, and reducing waste. It's necessary to establish a clear vision that a low-carbon future brings economic benefits to all," he argued.
The statement was echoed by Patrícia Campos, a representative of Costa Rica's Ministry of the Environment. She believes it's necessary to quantify the benefits of decarbonization, such as reduced healthcare costs, reduced traffic jams and accidents, reduced fossil fuel imports, and a revitalized domestic economy. Costa Rica and Chile are the first countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
"Decarbonization cuts across all sectors of the country and is part of the development plan. We work with several strategies, including education and culture, institutional reform, and a just transition."
Ivan Dario, from the Colombian Ministry of the Environment, said that the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are guiding principles in developing the country's long-term strategy.
"We're already beginning to feel the effects of climate change, which are affecting our coffee production. That's why it's crucial to have government support, working together with various sectors: academia, the private sector, experts, and civil society."
Representative of the German Environment Agency, Benno Hain, reinforced that the country continues to support Latin America and the Caribbean in their efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change and made a mea culpa.
"We are aware that we need to increase the ambition of our NDC. The process of achieving decarbonization by 2050 is being done in a participatory manner."
Brazilian business sector and long-term strategies
CEBDS's Director of Technical Development, Ana Carolina Szklo, spoke about the Brazilian business sector's experience in building long-term strategies. Ana emphasized that it was first necessary to engage with companies to understand the risks and opportunities of the Brazilian NDC. "After understanding the scenarios, we discussed how to build a long-term business strategy. Subsequently, we conducted a Vision 2050 study that addresses the world we want. This study is currently being revisited, and to achieve this, we are developing an inclusive process, considering all regions of the country and guided by science."
Learn about the study CEBDS's long-term low-carbon development strategy.
Photo Credits: Correio24horas
