Climate Action 2014-2015

MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION
THE INTERNATIONAL
DIMENSION
In 2013, Brazil began preparation of
its National Plan for Adaptation, under
the coordination of the Ministry of
the Environment and the Ministry of
Science, Technology and Innovation.
Thematic networks have been
constructed with the participation of
experts, civil society and economic
sector representatives, for the elaboration
of knowledge with draft documents
on water, food security and agriculture,
coastal zones, biodiversity and forests,
cities, industry, energy, transport and
logistics, public health, and natural
disasters. Public consultations and
approval of the National Plan for
Adaptation are expected in 2015.
LAND USE
The use of land and land resources
plays a fundamental role in delivering
national economic growth in Brazil, and
will continue to do so in the future. In
our efforts to build sustainability for the
planet, Brazilian agriculture is a potential
tipping point. Agribusiness leadership
is imperative if Brazil is to continue its
agricultural expansion and become more
ecologically sustainable. The solutions
presented today by the new legislation on
the use of forests and CAR are consistent
with Brazilian law, economic growth
needs, the long-term ecological future
of Brazil, and ultimately the financial
future of all who benefit from Brazil’s
productive lands.
This scenario is compatible with a new
policy framework that goes beyond
deforestation, and ties in economic
development, climate change and food
security. This new framework, called
Protection and Production, aims to
encourage changes to current patterns
of management and investment in
order to build a strong foundation for
future economic development and
environmental conservation. The core of
this approach is to build better national
understanding (public, private, academic,
civil society) and coordination of the
notion that land is an asset and therefore
must be better and more efficiently
used. In addition, a key requirement is
to analyse and support implementation
of policy regimes that link sectors and
regions of the rural economy, already tied
together by markets, organisation of rural
households, and fiscal systems.
Finally, but equally important, it must
be recognised that fighting global
climate change can hugely benefit from
international cooperation. No other nation
has our experience or success in tackling
deforestation. For that reason, Brazil is
committed to sharing its expertise on
forest monitoring and control with other
tropical countries. In 2007 the Brazilian
Space Agency INPE established in Belém
the Amazonian Regional Center with
the mission of transferring Brazilian
experience of tropical forest monitoring
beyond our borders. The achievements of
this initiative prompted Brazil to approve
in 2013 its first international funding
programme with the Amazon Cooperation
Treaty Organization (ACTO), to develop
national strategies to monitor forest cover
and changes in land use for all Amazonian
countries. The programme will run for
four years at a total cost of US$17.2
million of which US$11.2 million comes
from Brazil’s Amazon Fund. We are also
looking at other initiatives to support
African countries in the same field. In the
same way that we have greatly benefited
from international cooperation, particularly
in our fight against deforestation, the
Brazilian government is proud to be
able to share its achievements with other
countries.
Izabella Teixeira is Brazil’s Minister of the
Environment. She has a degree in biology
from the University of Brasilia, a Master’s
degree in energy planning and a PhD in
Environmental Planning from the Federal
University of Rio de Janeiro. She has worked
for the government since 1984 and has
taught at various universities. She has worked
in several areas in the environmental sector
of public administration, and has served as
Minister of the Environment since 2010.
"This new framework,
called Protection and
Production, aims to encourage
changes to current patterns of
management and investment."
The Ministry of Environment, Brazil,
was created in 1992 to meet the challenge
of protecting and conserving the environment
and promoting sustainable development. In
its 22 years of existence, the Ministry has
focused its efforts in meeting that challenge,
increasing the awareness of environmental
issues in the national political agenda, and
helping to consolidate Brazil’s important role
in the international arena.
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