Greenhouse gas mitigation options in Brazil for land-use change, livestock and agriculture

Carlos Clemente Cerri,Marcelo Valadares Galdos,Stoecio Malta Ferreira Maia,Martial Bernoux,Leidivan Almeida Frazão,Francisco Fujita De Castro Mello,Brigitte Josefine Feigl,João Luis Nunes Carvalho,Ciniro Costa Junior,Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri,Cindy Silva Moreira

doi:10.1590/s0103-90162010000100015

Carlos Clemente Cerri, Marcelo Valadares Galdos + Show 9 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0103-90162010000100015

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Abstract

National inventories of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (implementation of the National Communications) are organized according to five main sectors, namely: Energy, Industrial Processes, Agriculture, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LUCF) and Waste. The objective of this study was to review and calculate the potential of greenhouse gas mitigation strategies in Brazil for the Agricultural and LUCF. The first step consisted in an analysis of Brazilian official and unofficial documents related to climate change and mitigation policies. Secondly, business as usual (BAU) and mitigation scenarios were elaborated for the 2010-2020 timeframe, and calculations of the corresponding associated GHG emissions and removals were performed. Additionally, two complementary approaches were used to point out and quantify the main mitigation options: a) following the IPCC 1996 guidelines and b) based on EX-ACT. Brazilian authorities announced that the country will target a reduction in its GHG between 36.1 and 38.9% from projected 2020 levels. This is a positive stand that should also be adopted by other developing countries. To reach this government goal, agriculture and livestock sectors must contribute with an emission reduction of 133 to 166 Mt CO2-eq. This seems to be reachable when confronted to our mitigation option values, which are in between the range of 178.3 to 445 Mt CO2-eq. Government investments on agriculture are necessary to minimize the efforts from the sectors to reach their targets.

Highlights

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires countries to develop, update and publish their national inventories of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Those inventories are organized according to five main sectors, namely: Energy, Industrial Processes, Agriculture, Land-Use
The first step consisted in an analysis of official and unofficial documents dealing with proposed climate change and mitigation specific policies for Brazil or concerning land-use and management options largely adopted in Brazil
We used specific methodologies or an adaptation for Brazil of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines provided in the background reports established for Brazil’s Initial National Communication (BINC) purpose

Summary

Introduction

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires countries to develop, update and publish their national inventories of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (implementation of the National Communications). Those inventories are organized according to five main sectors, namely: Energy, Industrial Processes, Agriculture, Land-Use. Change and Forestry (LUCF) and Waste. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) detailed methodologies, good practice guidance and guidelines were followed. Version” subsector of the LUCF eq) followed by the “Fossil Fuel. The third to the Agriculture and sector, being respectively the “Enteric Fermentation”

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