Brazil

WITH THE 10TH largest economy and fifth largest population in the world, Brazil is an important enactor of climate policy. Its energy matrix is relatively “clean”—80 percent of the generated electricity comes from hydropower, and 45 percent of the country's total energy consumption comes from renewable sources. Most of Brazil's CO2 emissions come from biomass burning, as a result of deforestation. Deforestation is responsible for between 10 and 25 percent of the global human-induced carbon emissions and 60 percent of all Brazil emissions. Although total fossil fuel CO2 emissions have increased steadily and reached 90 million metric tons in 2004, Brazil's per capita emission rate of 0.50 metric tons of CO2 per year remains well below global average rates.

Climatic change is expected to impact Brazil ...