Brazil’s COP30 roadmaps are well received by environmentalists

Environmentalists and international bodies expressed positive reactions to the presentation of roadmaps by the Brazilian presidency for COP30 on Tuesday (Nov. 3) in Brasília. These roadmaps aim to phase out fossil fuels, end deforestation, and forest degradation. Claudio Providas, representative of the United Nations Development Program in Brazil, explained that the roadmaps serve as tools for governments, businesses, and social organizations to implement the agreed-upon climate change negotiations.

The roadmaps outline the path to replacing fossil fuels and address illegal deforestation concerns. Ricardo Fujii, an energy transition specialist at WWF-Brazil, highlighted Brazil's renewable energy mix, which includes hydroelectric, wind, solar, biomass, and biofuels. He stated that transitioning to these sources generates jobs, income, and development across various regions of the country.

Stela Herschmann, head of international policy at the Climate Observatory, emphasized that the roadmap for moving away from fossil fuels provides possible paths forward for the urgent and complex transition process. Carolina Pasquali, executive director of Greenpeace Brazil, praised Brazil's credibility in ending deforestation and forest degradation, noting that the country has achieved the lowest deforestation rate in its history.

Pasquali believes that Brazil can help build urgency for coordinated global action to end forest destruction.

Marina Silva, former minister of the environment and climate change, emphasized that global projections in 1992 predicted a temperature increase of up to 4°C above pre-industrial levels. However, these efforts have ensured that by the end of the century, warming would be limited to 2°C. Even though the planet is not yet at the 1.5°C threshold, Silva asserts that Brazil's major contribution is its reduction in deforestation, which has resulted in a 15 percent global reduction in deforestation.