Brazil submits its new NDC — in alignment with the Paris Agreement — to the UN

Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin — accompanied by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, and by the Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha — officially delivered Brazil's new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Wednesday (November 13). The document was delivered during COP29, the UN climate conference being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22.

The new NDC establishes the target of reducing Brazil's net greenhouse gas emissions to between 59% and 67% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels, which is equivalent to reaching between 850 million and 1.05 billion tons of CO₂ equivalent in absolute terms. This commitment reflects Brazil's alignment with the targets of the Paris Agreement.

Through a “band target,” Brazil’s NDC defines a range of emission reductions — between 59% and 67% — rather than a single rigid value. This format considers variations in projections of future scenarios in a typical process of complex systems analysis, allowing the target to incorporate variables such as international cooperation and technological advances that may influence its implementation by 2035. In this way, Brazil maintains the flexibility to adjust its climate actions according to current and future conditions, committing to achieve the more ambitious target of 67% emissions reduction and positioning itself as an example of climate commitment.

Covering all sectors of the Brazilian economy and based on the absolute value of reducing emissions of all GHGs, the NDC is in line with the climate neutrality by 2050 target and the global commitment to limit warming to 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era, as per the Global Stocktake agreed upon at COP28 in Dubai, 2023.

Based on the Pact between the three branches of the Brazilian Government for Ecological Transformation (Pacto pela Transformação Ecológica) signed in August 2024, Brazil's climate commitment demonstrates the country's determination to inaugurate a new development paradigm. This model strives to reconcile socioeconomic prosperity, climate justice, and balance, reflecting an integrated vision of sustainability that promotes economic growth and environmental preservation.

The document was also designed as an investment platform to channel international funds to ecological transformation based on technological innovation, conscious use of natural resources, increased economic productivity, income and employment generation, and reduced inequalities. Brazil will leverage its comparative sustainability advantages by fulfilling its NDC to expand and modernize the national production structure.

As part of a sustainable development model for Brazil, the new NDC is guided by the country’s Climate Plan (Plano Clima). Under development by the Federal Government since 2023, the plan’s axes are focused on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change, including seven sectoral plans for mitigation and 16 for adaptation.

The Climate Plan is supported by the economic mechanisms of the Ecological Transformation Plan, including the Brazil Platform for Climate Investments and Ecological Transformation (Plataforma Brasil de Investimentos Climáticos e para a Transformação Ecológica/BIP); the Eco Invest Brazil Program; the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy (Taxonomia Sustentável Brasileira); the Sustainable Sovereign Bonds (Títulos Soberanos Sustentáveis); the Climate Fund; tax reform; the regulated carbon market; and the Brazilian Emissions Trading System (Sistema Brasileiro de Comércio de Emissões/SBCE). Moreover, actions to combat deforestation and towards rainforest restoration will be supported by the Amazon Fund, the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), and through initiatives by Brazil’s National Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social/BNDES), such as the Amazon Restoration Arc (Arco da Restauração na Amazônia).

The significant reductions in deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado are direct results of Brazil's climate commitment, driven by strategic plans such as the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (Plano de Ação para Prevenção e Controle do Desmatamento na Amazônia Legal/PPCDAm) and the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation and Fires in the Cerrado (Plano de Ação para Prevenção e Controle do Desmatamento e das Queimadas no Cerrado/PPCerrado). In 2023, deforestation in the Amazon dropped by 30.6% (6,288 km²) — the most significant drop in 15 years — and 25.7% (8,174 km²) in the Cerrado, the lowest rate since 2019. These reductions avoided the emission of 400.8 million tons of CO₂ and reinforced the country's commitment to preserving its biomes.

The new NDC considered the guidelines established in the Climate Plan, developed through a consultation process involving the Federal Government, society, the private sector, academia, states, and municipalities.

The new NDC marks the beginning of a cycle of economic and social prosperity, supported by low-carbon solutions that promote technological innovation, conscious use of natural resources, and job creation. Brazil aims to fulfill its climate commitment through these initiatives and become a global reference for prosperity, sustainability, and development.

The full text of the NDC is available here (in Portuguese).