Brazilian low-carbon transportation policies: opportunities for international support

Abstract

Two transport policies with climate co-benefits for the intra-city and inter-city transport in Brazil are analysed. Both policies aim to shift transport from the road (cars in cities, trucks between cities) towards less energy-intensive transport modes (bus, underground, rail and shipping). The main motivations for these policies are domestic benefits, including reduced energy costs, fewer accidents, and reduced local congestion and pollution. Despite these apparent benefits, barriers and financing constraints limit the scale and scope of the policy formulation and are likely to further impact their implementation. While it is relatively easy to mobilize investment in transport logistics infrastructure at the national level, given the benefits for economic competitiveness for the country as a whole, it is more challenging to leverage funds to provide more efficient and integrated public transport systems at the city level. International cooperation can play a significant role in supporting domestic policies, and thus contribute to direct emissions reductions and lower-carbon growth trajectories through a modal shift. Policy relevance: A modal shift of freight and passenger transport would enhance the energy efficiency of transport services. In Brazil, like most developing countries, infrastructure constraints prevent such a modal shift. Barriers to implementing national policies can differ within a country as well as internationally; for example, financial constraints are far more severe for cities pursuing public transport projects than for federal projects on inter-city freight transport. This creates opportunities for international support to tackle specific barriers and thus help governments to deliver domestic policy objectives. In order to avoid merely subsidizing the transport sector and increasing transport volumes, international support has to focus on measures to facilitate a modal shift that underpins a broader national transport strategy.