Environmental Setback in Brazil May End up Costing World US$ 5 Trillion, According to Study

07/11/2018 - 12h05

In Brazil, the approval of bills that could lead to environmental setbacks in exchange for political support have caused concern among the scientific community. Research that was published in the Nature Climate Change journal on Monday (the 9th) maintains that if Brazil does not meet its environmental targets designed to help keep the average rise in global temperature at no more than 2ºC, then it could cost other countries US$ 5.2 trillion (nearly R$ 20 trillion).

The main factor that is keeping Brazil from meeting its greenhouse gas emission targets, which were set out in the Paris Agreement, is deforestation. Failure to meet its targets wouldn't just harm other countries. It would also affect other sectors of the economy.

In an article called "The threat political bargaining has on climate mitigation in Brazil", researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and the University of Brasília (UnB) calculated what the cost of offsetting deforestation-based carbon emissions would be.

	Getty Images
	The main factor that is keeping Brazil from meeting its greenhouse gas emission targets, which were set out in the Paris Agreement, is deforestation

The cost is more than three times greater than the amount the country would spend if it contained emissions in the name of environmental preservation. For the sake of comparison, Brazil has had a budget of US$ 1 billion (approximately R$ 3.8 billion) to invest in environmental policies since 2011.

Last Thursday (the 5th), Brazil president Temer canceled a meeting with Environment Minister Edson Duarte and members of the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change. This is the second time they have tried to hand over to Temer - who presides over the forum - a proposal that sets out to accomplish the goals established in the Paris Agreement.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

Read the article in the original language