The 8th plenary of the Concertação promoted a meeting between initiatives to present two documents that will be shared with the international community at COP26: An agenda for the development of the Amazon (from the Concertação network) and Climate and Development: visions for Brazil 2030 (a process supported by the Climate and Society Institute).

Held on October 18, the plenary was the stage for a broad debate and exchange of ideas around the conclusions and goals of the studies, in addition to offering participants the opportunity to watch excerpts from the mini documentary Cipó de Jabuti – Histórias Ribeirinhas da Amazônia and to talk with her co-producer and co-author, the young riverside woman Odenilze Ramos.

The result of 18 months of collective work and hundreds of contributions from different fronts, An Agenda for the Development of the Amazon was announced by Roberto Waack, Chairman of the Board of the Arapyaú Institute, who pointed out that the content’s greatest ambition is to be a provocative document, and not definitive.

The Climate and Development document: visions for Brazil 2030, in turn, is the result of the contribution of more than 300 people, including members of the Concertação. For Ana Toni, director of the Instituto Clima e Sociedade (iCS), the main finding of the study is that the Brazilian climate policy cannot be sustained in isolation, but needs to be part of a development policy that is based on the transition to a low carbon economy and social justice. The document aims, in addition to the discussions at COP26, to raise awareness and punctuate the electoral debate that will take place in Brazil in 2022.

The study was led by Emilio Lèbre La Rovere (Climate Center Coordinator and member of the IPCC) and by Natalie Unterstell (President of the Talanoa Institute). Emilio detailed the conclusions of the document, which addresses three development scenarios for the country and its emissions, with the goals of allowing the resumption of economic growth, neutralizing emissions by a maximum of 2050, meeting the commitments assumed in the Paris Agreement, reduction of economic inequality and promotion of the population’s quality of life.

Natalie Unterstell highlighted that, according to studies, it is not necessary to choose between development and reduction of emissions, since even the most ambitious scenario results in economic growth (at least, equivalent to the alternative of permanence of current parameters) and lead to to an improvement in employment and income.

With speeches much appreciated by all, Odenilze Ramos reported the difficulty of talking about the populations of the Amazon due to their invisibility. According to her, who works with youth mobilization and articulation of sustainable tourism projects, climate changes are a reality in the region and are already felt mainly by riverside people, but it is necessary to adapt the speech to the reality of this population if we want to establish a dialogue and promote engagement.

Participants also discussed the possibility of selling carbon credits from public areas through grants, with a view to conserving the standing forest; the need to reduce emissions from livestock; and the worsening of social conditions in the Amazon, which has led to the fraying of the social fabric and the growing presence of organized crime in the region, with a relevant impact on deforestation.

To these questions, Natalie Unterstell pondered that the authors of the documents recognize the current difficulties and complexities, but chose to maintain their ambition and outline ways to promote significant changes towards the neutralization of emissions, zero deforestation, income growth and reduction of inequalities.

Art: Rui Machado