Mato Grosso Presses to Net Zero with New Climate Pathway
May 7, 2021, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) is pleased to announce completion of the Decarbonization Pathway for Mato Grosso, Brazil, which offers actionable steps towards the state race to net zero by mid-century. The Pathway is a result of intensive collaboration and assessment with the government and local stakeholders supported by international expertise and assistance from CCS, Winrock International, The Climate Group and GCF Task Force. Over 60 participants joined the final webinar on April 28 to review eleven key Decarbonization actions in the agriculture, forestry and other land use sectors which reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enable sustainable local economic development and help achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Mato Grosso has an economy that is highly dependent upon resource extraction, including crop and livestock production and forestry. The agriculture, forestry and other land uses sector represents over 90% of economy-wide emissions. As a result, its Decarbonization Pathway is highly targeted to these natural resource sectors, with actions focused primarily on natural resource conservation and restoration, and implementation of more sustainable land management practices, in the forestry and agricultural sectors. The overall impacts of implementation of the Decarbonization Pathway suggests that net zero can be met in Mato Grosso sooner than 2050.
More than 60% of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil, including Mato Grosso and neighboring states. A recent study found that the Brazilian Amazon rainforest released more carbon than it stored between 2010-2020, further emphasizing the need for new programs in the region to limit deforestation and provide economic alternatives that support sustainable development. The Decarbonization Pathway for Mato Grosso is highly focused on forests conservation and restoration, particularly for reducing negative impacts on local forest resources.
Projected 2030 and 2050 net GHG emissions reduction for the Mato Grosso Decarbonization Pathway. As indicated, emissions reductions are concentrated in the Forestry and Agricultural sectors.
The Climate Pathway Project has been underway since 2019 with regions of Brazil, Mexico, and Peru to develop mid-century decarbonization approaches that stabilize Earth’s climate and improve resilience and to foster public-private collaboration on local community development, sustainable economic recovery, investment mobilization, health, and social equity through modern energy and natural resources uses.
