Agribusiness urges climate actions in poorer countries

The vice president of the Brazilian Agriculture and Livestock Confederation (CNA) and chair of the entity’s National Environment Commission, Muni Lourenço, said that the key decision expected from COP 29 in Azerbaijan is a new target for climate finance.

During an event presenting the CNA’s stance for COP 29, which will be held in Baku next month, he told the audience that commitments made under the Paris Agreement have not been fulfilled and urged developed countries to support actions for climate mitigation and adaptation in developing nations.

Mr. Lourenço said that the failure to meet the $100 billion per year climate finance target, set to begin in 2020, weakens the ability to achieve expected outcomes. He also noted that $5.9 trillion will be needed to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of developing countries by 2030.

“The decision on finance will be the most important. It’s crucial to establish a new, quantified collective target that includes mitigation actions, adaptation, technology transfer, and capacity-building for developing countries,” he said.

Mr. Lourenço also advocated for the adoption of efficient agricultural technologies as essential for adapting to climate change, stressing that the adaptation indicators must include the agricultural sector.

He further highlighted the need to enhance the ability to measure emissions and carbon capture within Brazil’s agricultural sector, “taking into account the country’s tropical reality.”

Another demand from the CNA is the approval of the work plan for the Sharm El Sheikh working group, which was established in 2017 in Egypt. One of the group’s goals is to create a website to centralize agriculture and food security projects. “This is important for exchanging experiences and information on climate finance,” Mr. Lourenço added.

He said that, in recent COPs, countries have signed high-level political agreements on specific topics, but these parallel initiatives risk diverting attention from the core negotiations regarding the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

“We believe Brazil should carefully consider signing new declarations and commitments without concrete results from those signed in previous years. These agreements must also align with Brazil’s NDC,” he stressed.

Looking ahead to COP 30, which will be held in Belém, Pará, next year, the CNA expects discussions on measures to preserve the Amazon rainforest, alongside initiatives for the region’s economic and social development. “The CNA hopes Brazil’s NDC will be backed by sectoral policies and broad participation from the productive sector. It’s vital to position Brazil as a leader in energy transition and sustainable systems,” Mr. Lourenço said.

The CNA also reiterated its commitment to combating illegal deforestation and called for recognition of farmers who conserve land beyond what is required by the Forest Code. “We need to consolidate sustainable practices and create new sources of funding for adaptation and mitigation efforts tied to the agricultural sector,” he said.

At the same event, Marco Túlio Cabral, chief of staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Climate, Energy, and Environment Secretariat, and one of Brazil’s negotiators at COP 29, emphasized the growing vulnerability of agribusiness to climate change, citing recent floods in Rio Grande do Sul and droughts in much of the country.

Source: Valor International

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