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This paper evaluates the performance of energy policies in the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), a regional initiative consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, but also considering Venezuela (full member since mid-2012) and Bolivia (full participation under negotiation since 2015). The methodology is based on a qualitative-quantitative approach. First, we provide a critical review of the literature on energy security. Then, we carry out a comparative analysis of energy policies in Mercosur countries, concluding that there is no harmonization between them. Next, we offer the new concept of socio-environmental-energy security (SEES) as a more suitable approach to deal with current challenges, providing a hybrid quantitative indicator-based approach to the SEES index. Ergo, after defining the indicators, selecting the data, carrying out a normalization process, assigning weights and aggregating data points, the SEES composite index is generated. We suggest that energy integration can contribute to better regional performance in terms of energy policies and that the SEES index can guide policy makers and investments, replacing the old-fashioned concept of energy security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of a tax on greenhouse gases aims to increase awareness of the real costs of economic activities across all stakeholders. In the absence of such tax, these activities generate negative externalities, a market failure that imposes costs on others, including future generations. Developing countries have increasingly contributed to climate change, and emission mitigation policies are therefore also required in these economies. Among the priorities in their political agendas, however, are to reduce income concentration and alleviate poverty. Climate policies should therefore be implemented without interfering with such social goals. This study uses a Social Accounting Matrix for Brazil in 2005 to analyse the impact of implementing a charge per tonne of CO2e emitted on income distribution in Brazil. The results differ as much in relation to the level of the applied tax as to the means whereby the revenue thus raised is recycled in the economy. Two option paths are simulated: direct transfer to low-income families and exemption from labour taxes. As complementary results, impacts on GDP, on employment levels, and on GHG emissions are also analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Brazil occupies a unique position among the major greenhouse gas ( GHG) emitting countries due to its low per-capita energy-related GHG emissions (2.4 tons CO2 in 2014), attributable to abundant clean energy sources. Recently, deforestation in Brazil has slowed considerably, to the point where forestry has ceased to be the major source of emissions. Brazil has reduced its overall GHG emissions by 41% from 2005 to 2012, and its total GHG emissions per capita decreased from a high in 2004 of 14.4 tCO2e to an estimated 6.5 tCO2e in 2012. Brazil faces the challenge of building upon its historically low energy-related GHG emission levels through new decarbonization strategies, while pursuing higher living standards for its population. There is a huge potential to further reduce national GHG emissions through the implementation of a wide spectrum of mitigation measures. While several observers from the scientific community have a different view, Brazilian government considers that the country has been playing both a pioneer and a leader role in ambitious climate action, including the submission of a quite ambitious intended nationally determined contribution, and a constructive role played in COP21, joining the High Ambition club at the end of the negotiations. Several motivations exist for Brazil joining other 'climate clubs' focusing on innovative financial mechanisms and sustainable energy and forestry technologies. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e439. doi: 10.1002/wcc.439 For further resources related to this article, please visit the . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents and discusses the main findings of a study focusing on climate change mitigation actions (MAs) in Brazil. Brazilian government presented to the 15th Conference of the Parties of the Climate Change Convention held in Copenhagen in 2009 (UNFCCC COP15) voluntary mitigation goals: a reduction in between 36.1 and 38.9% of the country's green house gases (GHG) emissions projected to 2020. If Brazil meets its voluntary goals, its GHG emissions in 2020 will be 6–10% lower than in 2005. The main research question addressed in this study is what conditions should Brazil meet to achieve its pledge? It discusses how MAs are approached, conceptualized and planned in Brazil. It describes how the country identifies MAs and the contextual framework used to define them. It also maps the initiatives underway in the country, and analyses the issues faced for its successful implementation, as well as for future approaches. The main conclusion is that Brazil seems to be in a good position to meet its voluntary mitigation goals up to 2020, as avoiding deforestation will take up the bulk of the emission reduction. After 2020, Brazil will face a new challenge: combine economic development with low GHG energy-related emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the ongoing international discussions about the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action concept, this study takes instead a more ‘bottom-up’ approach through a comparative analysis of five studies of mitigation actions (MAs) in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and South Africa. The analysis shows that MAs are driven by both developmental and climate objectives. The character, scope, policy horizon and potential success of an action are closely linked to the developmental path of countries such that MAs that directly address poverty and development seem to have a better chance of being implemented since they address issues higher on the policy agenda of developing countries. Where international support is sought, all five countries have some existing measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) and technical competence capacity that can be built upon. The choice of MAs is evidently linked to institutional capacity (both for design and implementation of MAs and possible MRV), emissions profile and the relative resource endowments of countries. The policy environments – from highly planned to less coordinated – and time-horizons – from 4-year plans to 40-year scenarios – differ substantially between the countries. Thus, the comparative analysis underscores the diversity of possible MAs and capabilities and the concomitant need for flexibility in definition, design and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses family farmer adaptation to climate change in semi-arid regions as local vulnerability reduction and forming transition processes towards more desirable states of socioecological resilience. We apply this methodological framework to the case of the National Program on Biodiesel Production and Use (PNPB) and its efforts to integrate family farmers from the Brazilian northeast into biofuel commodity chains. The results indicate that while the PNPB addresses important components for vulnerability reduction-such as technical assistance or market access-more sustainable futures will essentially rely on broader socioeconomic reforms to break with currently socially exclusive processes. In particular, successful adaptation will need concerted actions at local, regional and national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we discuss the potential of integrated adaptation and mitigation strategies to addess problems arising from climate change. This 'Ad-Mit' or 'Mit-Ad' approach is illustrated through the case of crop diversification by family farmers to crops used for vegetable oil and biodiesel production in the northeastern semi-arid region of Brazil. Impact assessments of some climate change scenarios indicate this region to be one of the most vulnerable in the country. Small farmers from the northeastern semi-arid region are among the low-income social groups most vulnerable to climate change. Improvement of the social and economic conditions in these rural communities through the growth of vegetable oil crops is an important adaptation strategy vis-à-vis future climate change, constituting an income-generation activity in the biodiesel production chain. The use of vegetable oils as a feedstock for biodiesel production and fuel reduces CO2 emissions due to the displacement of diesel oil, thus it also contributes to a mitigation strategy. Potential barriers to an increase in vegetable oil production by small farmers in the region are identified, including capacity building and logistics requirements. We discuss public policies and measures that could help overcome these barriers in the northeastern semi-arid region, and suggest the following: the use of selected seeds of several vegetable oil crops alongside subsistence crops, capacity building and technological and financial support to small farmers, and the building of logistics infrastructure and the appropriate institutional setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the security of investors in the petroleum industry and to bestow transparency and reliability to its licensing process, the Brazilian Government has recently implemented a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of oil and gas exploration and production activities before the concession of areas. To provide robustness to SEA's analysis stage, this paper aims to propose an innovative methodological approach to map the environmental vulnerability of the area under study, considering selected environmental receptors. This approach combines two techniques, one analytical and the other spatial: environmental risk analysis and spatial analysis. To better illustrate it, this paper presents a case study of the Solimões Sedimentary Basin. Findings show that the approach was able to indicate the more suitable areas inside the SEA region for the development of the O&G upstream activities, as well as to map the vulnerability of each analyzed environmental receptor, to the complete chain of activities, from the exploration for resources until the decommissioning of facilities. This hybrid technique proved to be suitable to the levels of detail required by SEAs and may allow the Government's goals with it to be achievable, including the environmental issues earlier, in its sectorial PPPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]