In a recent announcement, Geraldo Alckmin, Brazil’s Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce, and Service, stated that Brazil is poised to become a global leader in the fight against climate change by promoting innovation for industrial decarbonization.
The Decarbonization Challenge
Alckmin underscored that Brazil is confronted with a threefold challenge: ensuring food security, energy security, and climate security. He made these remarks during the inauguration of the seminar “Decarbonization: Towards Low Carbon Mobility in Brazil,” organized by Esfera Brasil and Low Carbon Mobility for Brazil (MBCB).
The New Industry Brazil (NIB)
Sustainability is one of the cornerstones of the New Industry Brazil (NIB), alongside productivity, export, and innovation. This presents opportunities for the decarbonization of the industry, a subject that is featured in more than one mission of the NIB.
Clean and Affordable Energy
The minister highlighted investments in the energy sector that have resulted in the generation of clean and affordable energy, with a particular focus on wind and solar energy. He underscored that Brazil boasts the cleanest electric matrix in the world.
Biofuels and Deforestation
Alckmin also drew attention to the decarbonization potential of biofuels. He noted that 85% of the Brazilian fleet is flex. It is crucial to promote clean, renewable energy, which generates jobs and sequesters carbon in the soil. He also emphasized the need to curb deforestation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and pointed out that Brazil has made significant strides in this area, reducing deforestation in the Amazon by almost 40%.
Competitive Industry
The minister also discussed the need for a competitiveness agenda and the reduction of the Brazil Cost, to bolster the Brazilian industry on the international stage. One of the initiatives developed by the MDIC is the Draft Law of the so-called Accelerated Depreciation, submitted to the National Congress, to encourage the renewal of the industry’s machinery, to enhance productivity. Alckmin also referred to the More Productive Brazil, which will assist micro, small and medium-sized companies to become more productive and competitive, with stimulation to qualified management and digital transformation.
Conclusion
Brazil is positioning itself as a global leader in the decarbonization of the industry. With policies and initiatives centered on sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness, the country is charting a promising course towards a greener future.
