Brazil's Climate Plan Indicates the Country Will Depend on Unprecedented Cuts in Deforestation to Meet Its Target

Brazils Climate Plan, a document that establishes guidelines for addressing climate change in the country, allows agribusiness to keep greenhouse gas emissions virtually stable over the next decade. Under the projected terms, unprecedented cuts in deforestation would be required to meet the 2035 target: reducing emissions by 59% to 67% compared with 2005 levels. The document, released 50 days after the announcement, projects a 1% increase in pollution from agriculture and livestock by 2030. By 2035, the sector could see a 7% reduction or a 2% increase in emissions. The plan calls for a 140% reduction in emissions from land-use change in public areas by 2030; thus, forests will have to absorb much more carbon than they emit, at a level never previously recorded. The energy and industrial sectors may increase emissions by up to 44% and 34%, respectively, by 2035. Organizations criticize the document for lacking ambition. "Its not the best of all worlds, but it is the Climate Plan that is possible," said Marta Salomon, an activist at the Talanoa Institute.