GEO Brasil - UNEP

4 Brazil and the Climatic Change Convention
Due to the size of its economy and population, Brazil can be classified as an
important GEG originator However, the UNFCCC principle of common, but
differentiated responsibilities must be remembered, and also the division among
the Parties – Annex I and Non Annex I, which determines that industrialised
countries should take the initiative in fighting the problem, and recognising the
right of developing countries, such as Brazil, to increase its emissions in a first
moment, due to its small responsibility on the problem Besides, considering its
own specificities, Brazil has low levels at emission of GHG per GDP and / per
capita / -it It is important to point out that Brazil is one of the countries which
most contribute to fight the aggravation of climate change global risks,
considering the heavy weight of renewable sources in its energy matrix, and
highlighting the predominant participation of hydroelectric generation and of
programmes like PROÁLCOOL, thanks to which the country has been avoiding
the emission of great amounts of greenhouse effect gases into the atmosphere
Brazilian emissions of all Greenhouse Gases - GHG will be published in the
inventory of human by emission source and of removal by drain This work is coordinated
by the Science and Technology Ministry (MCT), and it is part of the
National Communication, a commitment made at the level of the United Nations
framework conference on Climatic Change
The deadline for the presentation of
the National Communication of Brazil
has already passed, and the reasons
given by the MCT for this delay are
related to the country’s large territorial
extension, and the insufficiencyof
financial resources supplied of the
Convention level, for carring out the
inventory Besides, IPCC
methodologies aften do not apply to
the Brazilian specificities, which
forced some Brazilian specialists to
develop more detailed
methodologies
In cases where the preliminary results
of the inventory’s were still not
published, one has to count on the
literature available, although
precarious and temporary That
information will provide an idea of the
relative importance of each source
the state of the environment in Brazil
Table1-CO
Emissions
miltCO 2
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
2
Source: http://www.mct.gov.br/clima
Emissions by light vehicles
Without allowing for
the renewable share
Allowing
for the renewable share
Gasohol Alcohol Total Gasohol Alcohol Total
18105 11382 29487 15237 0 15237
20324 11828 32153 17105 0 17105
21806 10962 32768 18352 0 18352
24634 11459 36093 20732 0 20732
29380 11372 40752 24726 0 24726
The emission calculation methodology in the Brazilian inventory is based, in
general, on the methodology defined by IPCC Several specialists and institutions
of the energy, industry, forest, farming and residue treatment sectors, located in
all regions other country, participate in this work Some groups have already
concluded their work and the preliminary results are available in the MCT / web
site Other works are being finalised
3
For further information see http://wwwivigcoppeufrjbr/arquivos/f-efeito percent20estufapdf
The inventory is separated into six
modules, which correspond to the
structure of calculations adopted in
IPCC methodology:
Use of Energy,
Industry,
Solvents,
Agricultural and Cattle - ranching
Sector,
Change in Land and Forest Use,
and
Residue Treatment
CO2 is the main greenhouse effect gas
because it is emitted in larger amount
in relation to the other; therefore, most
of the studies focus on the problem
of that gas concentration It is noticed
now, however, a greater effort towards
the effects of CH4, which mainly
result, from the decomposition of
organic matter; and of N 2
O, where
emissions the effects of which come
from the use of nitrogen fertilisers and
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