COP26: Brazil at the Glasgow Climate Conference – Foreign Minister

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – “Since President Jair Bolsonaro honored me with the mission of heading the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I have worked on three core priorities: pandemic response, economic recovery and sustainable development, including the fight against climate change.

We are committed to reaching agreements at the Glasgow Conference, COP26, that will enable full compliance with the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

Brazil has been a key player in the debate on environmental issues since at least 1992, when we hosted the United Nations Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, Rio 92. We have contributed, in a leading position, to the formulation of international norms, particularly in addressing the challenges related to climate change.

Brazil goes to Glasgow committed to the success of the COP26 negotiations. Based on the Paris Agreement, we have an ambitious and unprecedented target for developing countries: the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 37% by 2025 and by 43% by 2030 (compared to the 2005 base-year).

In light of our common but differentiated responsibilities, we are among the most committed countries to tackling the climate issue.

Our national contribution applies to the economy as a whole, without excluding any sector; it refers to absolute emissions, not relative factors, like many other countries; it includes an intermediate target for 2025; and it is more ambitious than the commitments of most developed countries, even if our historical responsibility is lower.

What is at stake at COP26 is the need for countries to agree on solutions in three areas: increasing financing channels for the developing world; prioritizing adaptation measures to address the harmful effects of climate change; and creating opportunities for the participation of governments and the private sector through market-based instruments. We will only achieve a satisfactory outcome if we address these three issues.

Our main effort at COP26 is to ensure that the financial flows needed to fight climate change are accessible, predictable and adequate to the needs of the most vulnerable countries. We cannot accept the failure of developed countries to meet the target to which they committed themselves: to mobilize US$100 billion per year to contain the effects of climate change. We need to secure a new post-2025 funding target in Glasgow.

In terms of reducing the effects of rising temperatures, we need to balance adaptation measures, reduce vulnerabilities and control climate risks. One of our goals at COP26 is to decide on additional resources for adaptation measures, particularly in developing countries.

Regarding market-based instruments, Brazil has worked with determination and flexibility in consensus building. We will continue to work to ensure that the decisions in Glasgow contribute to increasing global ambition in terms of emissions reductions and adaptation of economies.

We advocate clear and credible rules for all countries participating in these markets. For the Sustainable Development Mechanism – a financial instrument for the private sector to invest in emission reduction projects – we favor a transparent governance structure to ensure the integrity of transactions.

Brazil, I repeat, will work for the success of COP26. We are determined to maintain the commitment of Brazilian diplomacy in climate negotiations, always bearing in mind the welfare of our people.

We hope to bring from the conference practical results for the most diverse segments of Brazilian society, from traditional communities to urban workers, from family farmers to industrial entrepreneurs, from the current to future generations. It is this sense of responsibility that will guide Brazil’s actions at COP26.”