Opportunities In Brazil Research Articles

The electric vehicle sector in Brazil, India, and South Africa: Are there green windows of opportunity?

Abstract The shift to electric mobility is driving disruptive transformations in the automotive sector worldwide. It poses significant but different opportunities and challenges to incumbents and latecomers at both the firm and country levels. China’s green industrial policy has facilitated its rapid catching up and even leapfrogging in some domains of electromobility. This article asks whether the exploitation of this window of opportunity can be replicated in other latecomer countries. Accordingly, it provides a comparative analysis of the automotive green window of opportunity in Brazil, India, and South Africa, three emerging economies with long established but structurally different automotive industries. To do so, it examines domestic preconditions, policy and enterprise responses, and preliminary industrial development outcomes. Although all the three countries face constraints in replicating China’s relative success, the article shows how green opportunities and threats are unequally divided between the three countries.

Transition pathway towards more sustainable waste management practices for end-of-life reverse osmosis membranes: Challenges and opportunities in Brazil

Desalination using reverse osmosis (RO) elements is increasing worldwide. In addition to creating technical alternatives to extend their life-cycle, it is also important to assess how circular economy can be encouraged considering the role of the involved stakeholders. To help address this issue, this work proposed a transition pathway towards more sustainable waste management scenarios. It was built using a three-step methodology whose highlight was to use life-cycle assessment results to classify the level of institutional and sustainable disruption of three disposure options (reuse/chemical conversion/recycling of materials). Once built, a system-level perspective was used to explore potential win, losses, and conflicts from the actors involved in the waste chain. It was seen that the current scenario follows a linear take-make-disposal structure and there is a need to promote actors that will actually perform direct reuse and chemical conversion of the membranes. However, even if these actors are encouraged, they might encounter a resistance of business-as-usual, since there is no legal restriction for landfill disposal. In addition, institutional framework needs to be addressed to avoid direct competition and promote partnership with these and other actors in the waste chain.

Techno-economic analysis and carbon intensity of sugarcane-corn flex plants in Brazil

Given the recent rise in corn ethanol production in Brazil, this work focused on identifying the technical adaptations, as well as quantifying the economic feasibility of incorporating corn processing for ethanol production into a standalone sugarcane distillery (flex plants). Ethanol production increased by >20 % when corn is processed during the sugarcane inter-harvest season, with an incremental Net Present Value (NPV) of 86 to 64 million dollars and a likelihood of profitability of 68 % under the current economic conditions. The flex plants have 30 % higher carbon intensity than the standalone distillery, and the burning of sugarcane straw to provide energy for corn processing is necessary. This highlights a great synergistic opportunity in Brazil to make use of idle equipment in standalone distilleries during the inter-harvest season.

HSD35 If Primary Prevention Is the Solution, Why Don't We Take Advantage of All Opportunities in Brazil?

Previous literature shows that 80-90% of cancer cases are associated with preventable external causes. The oncology care centers (OCCs) that make up the Brazilian public health system (SUS) offer specialized and comprehensive care to cancer patients. Although they are not obliged to act in primary prevention, they represent an essential source of information for the population because they are recognized as centers of excellence in their respective regions. Our objective was to analyze if (and how) OCCs have been acting in preventive campaigns against cancer.

BECCS opportunities in Brazil: Comparison of pre and post-combustion capture in a typical sugarcane mill

In order to make feasible the efforts that would limit the rise of Earth's temperature to no more than 2 °C, profound changes are required in the energy systems. In this sense, BECCS are considered instrumental to attain possible negative emissions. This draws attention to the sugarcane industry in Brazil, where it is possible to produce fuel ethanol at a relative low cost and a large amount of relatively cheap biomass is available. This paper is part of a research that aims to study the combined production of liquid fuels and electricity, using sustainable sources of biomass and maximizing carbon capture. Two cases related to an innovative technology were evaluated and in both the capture is based on amine technology: pre-combustion capture of CO2 from the fuel gas derived from biomass gasification, and post-combustion capture from gas turbine exhaust gases. Information from the scientific literature was used in modelling the systems, as well as estimating energy penalties and costs associated with capturing, transporting and storing CO2. The results indicate technical feasibility of both capture options, but difficulties in setting the full integration of the power unit (BIG-CC) with the sugarcane mill and the CCS system, due to the high demand for thermal energy as low-pressure steam. The estimated CO2 abatement cost is in the range 60–71 €/tCO2 for pre-combustion capture, and 52–63 €/tCO2 in the case of post-combustion. Feasibility results are impacted by the scale of CO2 capture (0.82–1.44 MtCO2/year), particularly in the pre-combustion case, and the relatively high cost of electricity generation.

Understanding Business Models for the Adoption of Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations: Challenges and Opportunities in Brazil

Although electric vehicle (EV) sales have been increasing over the years, worldwide EV adoption is still low. In Brazil, the key factors influencing this are the EV high acquisition cost and the reduced charging infrastructure. Therefore, traditional business models may not be adequate for Brazil and stagnate EV diffusion. Thus, designing innovative business models can be crucial to accelerate the transition to electric mobility in the region. In this way, this article aims to critically review business models for EV adoption and charging stations worldwide and discuss its application in Brazil. Then, the challenges and opportunities for some business model options are highlighted through the SWOT matrix. One can conclude that EV sharing is a promising business model for Brazil, given the series of advantages such as access to cutting-edge technology at an affordable price, reduction of vehicles on the streets, and given convenience for users (no concern with charging, EV degradation, and parking). However, public policies, subsidies, and coordination between different agents are crucial for the proliferation of this model. On the other hand, for the proposed CS models, the more traditional option is the less risky for investors in Brazil until the number of EVs increase.

Opportunities and challenges for bioenergy-livestock integrated systems in Brazil

Bioenergy is seen as a key option to meet future energy demands and mitigate climate impacts. However, large-scale deployment of bioenergy can cause an additional pressure over land resources and correspondent sustainability impacts. Enhanced land management practices are fundamental to intensify land-based outputs under different climate mitigation scenarios. Bioenergy-livestock integration (BLI) is a win-win strategy to climate mitigation while ensuring food and fibers demands from the society by using bioenergy by-products as animal feed to release land to additional industrial crops production. This study comparatively assesses BLI opportunities in Brazil to better understand the sustainability issues of the alternatives for integration of these value chains, highlighting the key techno-economic and environmental aspects. When compared to conventional systems, the BLI systems present positive techno-economic impacts and lower greenhouse gas emissions, reaching mitigations up to 32 % and 22 % for meat and ethanol production, respectively. The expansion of BLI systems in Brazil could meet projected biofuels future demands, using less than 20 % of the expected area for this expansion. Potential expansion areas are concentrated in Center-South region of Brazil. BLI systems can be further advanced by including other synergies, such as codigestion of sugarcane vinasse and cattle manure, integration of flex ethanol plants with biodiesel plants, maximization of biofuels by-products as animal feed, and inclusion of novel promising alternative industrial crops such as macauba, sweet sorghum, energy cane and short rotation eucalyptus coppice. However, we identify many potential barriers including the operational complexity, specific know-how, and necessity of economic incentives. This study may provide important insights for strategic and integrated polices for both agricultural and livestock sections as the proper sustainability assessment of an early stage of the deployment of enhanced BLI systems may help to meet global future demands of energy while also contributing to climate change targets.

New Silk Road: Threat or Opportunity for Brazil

The Silk Road was one of the greatest commercial routes that connected China with the port regions of the Mediterranean, where considerable sized volumes of merchandise were negotiated. However, it entered a decline as the result of various factors, such as disturbances in Central Asia, as well as the discovery of new maritime commercial routes. Contemporaneously, China, currently the 2nd most powerful economy in the world, reactivated a project of this logistic and commercial route, very much to maintain its commercial competitiveness, idealized by president Xi Jinping. This audacious project, under construction, will involve great Chinese investments for the region, as well as a contribution to other nations, which will change all the geography of international negotiations.

Correction to: Circular Economy and Solid Waste Management: Challenges and Opportunities in Brazil

Correction to: Circular Economy and Solid Waste Management: Challenges and Opportunities in Brazil

Modeling to evaluate coastal governance in Brazil

There is little analysis on coastal governance systems that integrates and understands contexts influencing the decision-making process and governance. This work aimed at developing a conceptual model that can comprehensively represent the governance of Coastal zones, utilizing descriptors defined by the Decalogue for Coastal Management (DCM). The model was applied to the Brazilian coastal management program and validated by a questionnaire to the 17 Brazilian regional coastal managers. The results allowed to build the Critical Component for Coastal Governance (CCCG) Index. This index was the base to develop a SWOT analysis of the coastal governance system in Brazil. The authors concluded that the strengths of the coastal management system in Brazil are based on important tools and strategies in place and on the defined administrative structure. On the other hand, the weakness lies on important operative tools that are not implemented jeopardizing the decision-making process. When it comes to external factors, the normative arrangement can be considered an opportunity for Brazil, but its lack of enforcement can easily transform this opportunity into threats. CCCG index proved to be capable of pointing the most critical components of the coastal management system and it was higher on the internal elements and processes than on the external ones, meaning the coastal management system in Brazil is suffering more from an internal weakness of its components than from an external threat. The index can also be used as a baseline for further monitoring, having a great potential for the evaluation of coastal management processes.

Circular Economy and Solid Waste Management: Challenges and Opportunities in Brazil

Brazil has a vast territory and regional diversity, which turn the promotion of circular economy (or its improvement) into a complex challenge. This paper aims to analyse these challenges and solid waste management opportunities as a driving force for the circular economy in Brazil. Therefore, two significant challenges are discussed in this paper: increasing industrial waste recovery and improving the selective collection of municipal solid waste. Industries are concentrated in the country’s South and Southeast regions, where 56% of the population live and where the best logistic infrastructure is also located. These features can help the circular economy related to industrial and municipal solid waste in those regions but bring challenges concerning the waste generated in the other part, such as the Brazilian Amazon. According to legislation, the productive sector is responsible for its products before and after use (waste prevention actions). One of the national laws establishes reverse logistic systems for several items, such as agrochemical packaging and electrical and electronic waste, but some sectors have better results than others in terms of circular economy. The cement industry in Brazil is highlighted as a case of relative success. On the other hand, the mining industry in Brazil has challenges related to the large amount of waste generated with high environmental and social risks, which caused several large accidents in the last years.

BECCS Opportunities in Brazil: Pre and Post-Combustion Comparison in a Typical Sugarcane Mill

In order to make feasible the efforts that would limit the rise of Earth's temperature to no more than 2°C, profound changes are required in the energy systems. In this sense, BECCS (sustainable bioenergy systems, combined with carbon capture and storage) are considered instrumental to attain possible negative emissions. This brings the attention to the sugarcane industry in Brazil, in which it is possible to produce fuel ethanol at a relative low cost and a large amount of relatively cheap biomass is available. The already good results related to the avoided emissions could be further improved with the storage of the CO2 produced during fermentation. In addition, with not yet commercial BIG-CC systems (biomass-integrated gasification to combined cycle), it would be possible to at least double the generation of electricity at a sugarcane plant, compared to the results of conventional cogeneration systems. In this case, as biomass gasification is required, it would be possible to use pre-combustion capture technologies, reducing energy penalties. This article is part of a research that aims to study the combined production of liquid fuels and electricity, using sustainable sources of biomass and maximizing carbon capture. In both cases evaluated, the capture is based on amine technology: pre-combustion capture of CO2 from the fuel gas derived from biomass gasification, and post-combustion capture from gas turbine exhaust gases. Modelling is based on literature information for all systems, as well as for estimating energy penalties associated with CO2 capture, transport and storage. The results indicate technical feasibility for both technologies, but difficulties in setting the full integration of the BIG-CC unit with the sugarcane mill and the CCUS system, due to the high demand for thermal energy as low pressure steam. The estimated CO2 abatement cost is in the range 66–77 €/tCO2 for pre-combustion capture, and 58–68 €/tCO2 in the case of post-combustion. Feasibility results are impacted by the scale of CO2 capture from the combustion gases (0.54–1.11 MtCO2/year), mainly in the pre-combustion case, and by the relatively high cost of electricity generation (46 €/MWh).

Do Labor and Openness Affect the Performance of the Creative Industries in Indonesia?

The phenomenon of globalization is being faced by modern society and affects to all aspects of human activity. Over the past few decades, globalization has created many advantages for the development of the national economy. Some countries experience structural changes when traditional industries are replaced by service and innovation sectors, this indicates a transition to a knowledge economy where certain roles are played by creativity (Cabelková et al., 2015; Zelazny, 2017). Globalization can improve relations with other countries, especially in exports and imports. Creativity is a complete resource that is based primarily on ideas and cultural characteristics rather than on physical capital. The main source of creativity is invisible because it includes everything everyone has - knowledge, emotions, talents, and spontaneity (Skavronska, 2017).Empirical results show that the development of creative industry potential has led to increased income and employment opportunities in Brazil (Kon, 2016). It has been found that employment opportunities in the creative industry sector affect Ecuador's economy both in the medium and long term. The creative industry employment opportunities are found to be influential in the Ecuadorian economy both in the medium and long term (Quezada, et al., 2018). This research will analyze the effect of globalization and employment opportunities on the economy of the creative industry sector. Keywords: Creative industry, Labor, Export, Import

Assessing the objectives of dry ports: main issues, challenges and opportunities in Brazil

PurposeThe purpose is to identify the main characteristics of dry ports (DPs) in Brazil, discussing the role of this logistic player, challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, this study provides a structured framework to drive DP decision-makers, identifying and assessing a network of means–end objectives, which could be replicable to other contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis article approached initially a literature review and exploratory research to discuss the main characteristics of DPs in Brazil. The second step was to conduct a qualitative analysis following the value-focused thinking (VFT) approach in two case studies in Pernambuco state to assess the achievement of the main objectives.FindingsThis article identified that the main characteristics of DPs in Brazil are offering additional services with a cheaper storage cost, handling mainly import cargo and being connected to seaports through highways. Moreover, this study resulted in a framework to assess the objectives of DPs, which could be replicable in other contexts, improving the current operations of DPs.Practical implicationsThe framework to assess DPs' objectives bridged the gap between the literature and the practice working as a tool to drive decision-makers to improve the current performance of DPs in Brazil. Additionally, the main issues, challenges and opportunities discussed provide managers, policymakers and DPs operators with valuable insights into this theme.Originality/valueThis paper is the first study to present a framework to assess the objectives of DPs as a valuable tool to drive decision-makers to improve DPs operations. From this study, lessons could be learned and the process described could be replicable in other countries.

Inequality of opportunity in Brazil: decomposition of the sources of injustice between 2001 and 2014

PurposeThis article aims to measure inequality of income and opportunities at the national and state levels in Brazil, highlighting their acceptable and unacceptable components.Design/methodology/approachTo this end, a lower-bound estimate of income inequality (MLD) and inequality of opportunity (IOp) was developed using data from the National Household Sample Survey between 2001 and 2014.FindingsIt shows that the disparity of income measured by the MLD decreased 26.7 percent, while IOp measured by the IOp decreased 25.6 percent during that period. The decline in total inequality can be attributed to a 48.5 percent decrease of its unfair component and 51.5 percent decrease of its fair component. The average income of the most disadvantaged group (non-white women working in the informal sector) is shown to be only 29.5 percent of the income of the most advantaged group (formally employed white men). The groups at the greatest disadvantage were most benefited by the increase in income.Originality/valueBeyond comparisons among countries, analysis at the subnational level make it possible to identify how the process that generates inequality acts in each state, revealing patterns undetected in the aggregate analysis. Its decomposition generates two products that are useful to policy-makers. The first is a base estimate of the degree of IOp present in society, which may be expressed as an indicator of the degree of IOp. The second examines the portion of total inequality attributable to IOp.

Oportunidades educacionais no Brasil: o que dizem os dados do Saeb

<p>Este trabalho visa a contribuir para a pesquisa da desigualdade e da eficácia escolar, mapeando a distribuição das oportunidades educacionais no Brasil com base nos dados do Saeb 2013. Para tanto, avaliamos as oportunidades dos alunos do ensino fundamental de acesso, segundo o seu nível socioeconômico (NSE), a professores mais qualificados e escolas com melhores condições de recursos físicos, humanos e pedagógicos. Demonstramos que o nível socioeconômico do aluno aparece como uma variável que atua de forma significativa na distribuição das oportunidades educacionais no Brasil, mesmo num contexto de ampliação e universalização do acesso ao ensino fundamental.</p><p><strong>Palavras-chave:</strong> Desigualdades Socioeducacionais, Nível Socioeconômico, Ensino Fundamental, Brasil</p><p> </p><p><strong>Oportunidades educativas en Brasil: qué dicen los datos de Saeb</strong></p><p>Este trabajo tiene el propósito de contribuir para la investigación de la desigualdad y la eficacia escolar, mapeando la distribución de las oportunidades educacionales en Brasil en base a los datos del Saeb 2013. Para ello, evaluamos las oportunidades de acceso de los alumnos de educación básica, según su nivel socioeconómico (NSE), a profesores más cualificados y escuelas con mejores condiciones de recursos físicos, humanos y pedagógicos. Demostramos que el nivel socioeconómico del alumno aparece como una variable que actúa de forma significativa en la distribución de las oportunidades educacionales en Brasil, incluso en un contexto de ampliación y universalización del acceso a la educación básica.</p><p><strong>Palabras clave</strong>: Desigualdades Socioeducativas, Nivel Socioeconómico, Educación Básica, Brasil</p><p> </p><p><strong>Educational opportunities in Brazil: what Saeb data say</strong></p><p>This paper aims to contribute to the research on inequality and school effectiveness by mapping the distribution of educational opportunities in Brazil based on data from the 2013 SAEB. To do so, we evaluated the opportunities of elementary school students to have access, according to their socioeconomic level (NSE), to more qualified teachers and schools with better physical, human and pedagogical resources. We have demonstrated that the student’s socioeconomic level is an important variable in the distribution of educational opportunities in Brazil, even in a context of expansion and universalization of access to elementary education.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Socio-Educational Inequalities, Socio-Economic Level, Elementary School, Brazil</p>

Inequality of educational opportunities: Evidence from Brazil

Abstract This paper aims to estimate the inequalities of educational opportunities of 5th and 9th-grade students in Brazil and its states, verifying the relative contribution of each analyzed variable to this inequality. For this purpose, we used the new methodology developed by Ferreira and Gignoux (2014) considering the data of standardized tests of proficiency in Portuguese Language and Mathematics. Overall, the results show that more than 15% of the inequality of educational opportunities in Brazil is explained by circumstances unrelated to individual effort. The poorest regions of Brazil are also those with the highest inequality of educational opportunities and the circumstances with the greatest power to explain inequalities being parental education and socioeconomic status.

Trends in Health-Care Utilization at the End of Life Among Patients With Hematologic Malignancies in a Middle-Income Country: Challenges and Opportunities in Brazil.

Patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) often receive poor-quality end-of-life care. This study aimed to identify trends in end-of-life care among patients with HM in Brazil. We conducted a retrospective cohort study (2015-2018) of patients who died with HM, using electronic medical records linked to health insurance databank, to evaluate outcomes consistent with health-care resource utilization at the end of life. Among 111 patients with HM, in the last 30 days of life, we found high rates of emergency department visits (67%, n = 75), intensive care unit admissions (56%, n = 62), acute renal replacement therapy (10%, n = 11), blood transfusions (45%, n = 50), and medical imaging utilization (59%, n = 66). Patients received an average of 13 days of inpatient care and the majority of them died in the hospital (53%, n = 58). We also found that almost 40% of patients (38%, n = 42) used chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life. These patients were more likely to be male (64% vs 22%; P < .001), to receive blood transfusions (57% vs 38%; P = .05), and to die in the hospital (76% vs 39%; P = .009) than patients who did not use chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life. This study suggests that patients with HM have high rates of health-care utilization at the end of life in Brazil. Patients who used chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life were more likely to receive blood transfusions and to die in the hospital.

The geopolitics of Brazilian peacekeeping and the United Nations’ turn towards stabilisation in Haiti

ABSTRACTIn analysing Brazil’s contribution to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), this article assesses the United Nations’ turn towards stabilisation and the role of Latin American actors in this process. This development, we argue, allows the material contributions of Northern intervenors to be downscaled, but at the same time opens up opportunities for the larger contributing states from the Global South. Accordingly, this enables increasingly assertive actors like Brazil, to use UN peacekeeping missions as an opportunity for pursuing their own geopolitical ambitions. In drawing upon the results of empirical fieldwork in Haiti, we point towards the ways in which the UN’s turn towards stabilisation created multiple geopolitical opportunities for Brazil that ultimately converged with the geopolitical interests of Northern actors. On top of this process, this refers in particular to the US and its search for new ways of making peacekeeping-cum-stabilisation more ‘local’, less costly, and more legitimate. This geopolitical convergence of interests, we demonstrate, transformed Haiti into a laboratory for a variety of actors from the US and Brazil that were interested in experimenting with new forms of militarised interventions.

Brazilian engagement to Asia and the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017: less politics, more trade and investments

The paper aims to understand Brazilian position in relation to Asia and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), based on a review of the bibliography and journalistic articles on Brazil-Asia subject and an observance of official data of the Brazilian economy. Since Dilma Rousseff until Michel Temer’s government, Brazil has facing a troubled political and economic scenario, which negatively impacts on its diplomacy. Although Brazil reaffirmed its commitment with global strategic partnership with China in terms of trade flows, the lack of Brazilian participation on issues of global political nature directly impacts on the way in which Brasilia moved its attention to the BRI and to the Asian affairs. The ambitious proportions and objectives of the BRI summed to the rise of a nationalist economic policy of the United States indicate a deepening of several movements that have been changing the international balance of power, which can offer opportunities for Brazil, by means of a cohesive long-term policy for Asia and in a multifaceted way beyond trade.