3 Climate, environment and food security
Brazil has set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combat deforestation and ensure the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasises that a rapid and significant reduction in deforestation is crucial to achieving the global climate and nature targets. The current Brazilian government’s overall objective is to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. In addition, Brazil has committed to ambitious national targets in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It is important that Norway and Brazil cooperate well on issues related to the implementation of the agreement.
Brazil, like Norway and several other countries, has challenges related to environmental and climate issues. Both countries face complex trade-offs in their efforts to reach ambitious climate and nature targets.
The Climate and Forest Initiative.
Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) was established in 2008, and has been our most important international climate and nature initiative ever since. In the same year, Brazil launched the Amazon Fund, which has been central to Brazil’s ambitious strategy to reduce deforestation, preserve important ecosystems and promote sustainable development. Brazil’s emissions reduction from reduced deforestation is one of the world’s most important climate mitigation measures. Norway has been and remains a key partner for Brazil in this endeavour.
Political shifts have in the past, and will in the future, affect our climate and forest cooperation with Brazil. In an earlier period, parts of the Norwegian funding were frozen. At the same time, the collaboration under NICFI has shown that it is possible to customise support and ensure impact through flexible solutions.
Pressure on Brazil’s forests remains high, particularly in the Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest regions. Widespread environmental crime is increasingly threatening both nature and the lives and health of indigenous peoples, quilombolas (descendants of African slaves), and other communities with a way of life linked to the forest. The fight against illegal deforestation is highly prioritised by Brazil. The same applies to sustainable development in the region in order to counteract illegal economic activities, as well as the protection of indigenous territories and other protected areas.
Brazil has great potential for increased agricultural production without deforestation, through increased productivity and the restoration of deforested areas to agriculture or forests. A change in agricultural practices is needed to reduce legal deforestation. Norway seeks to strengthen cooperation with Brazil in the following areas: implementation of Brazil’s national strategies to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable development, conversion to more sustainable agriculture without deforestation, strategic support to indigenous peoples, quilombolas and other forest-based communities, nature monitoring through high-resolution satellite images and other tools that provide better transparency in relation to value chains, efforts against nature crime and facilitation of voluntary carbon markets and other innovative financing mechanisms that can make standing forests more valuable also in an economic sense.
Brazil has an important voice internationally and has emphasised regional and global cooperation for forest conservation. Norway is well positioned to be a good dialogue partner and supporter of increased regional efforts in the Amazon region and of global cooperation on rainforest conservation.
Box 3.1 The Amazon Fund
Brazil’s reduction in deforestation has led to reduced emissions of more than 4.3 billion tonnes of CO2. This is equivalent to 80 times Norway’s annual emissions. Norway has financed around 12 % of Brazil’s achieved results.
Since the start of the partnership, Norway has contributed NOK 8.8 billion to the Amazon Fund. The fund is internationally recognised as a well-functioning mechanism for climate and environmental financing. The Amazon Fund is a performance-based mechanism with a dual effect: payments are made only after a documented reduction in deforestation, and the funds are then spent on measures to further reduce deforestation. The fund’s resources are in addition to Brazil’s own financing of forest protection.
Through project support to both national and state authorities, as well as civil society, the fund has contributed to e.g. field operations against illegal deforestation, fire prevention, increased protection of protected areas and indigenous territories, and the development of sustainable local businesses.
Indigenous rights and environmentalists.
Environmental activists in Brazil face a number of challenges. Many are threatened or killed because of their work to protect the rainforest and the rights of indigenous peoples. Article 6 of ILO Convention No. 169, to which Brazil is a signatory, recognises the right of indigenous peoples to be consulted on matters that may directly affect them. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples also includes indigenous peoples’ participation and involvement in decisions that affect them. Brazil implements a number of measures to support environmentalists and indigenous peoples, and this work will continue to be a priority in the bilateral cooperation between Norway and Brazil.
Multilateral efforts for climate, nature and the environment.
Brazil is a key player in international negotiations and an important strategic partner for Norway in global climate and environmental work. The UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) will be held in Brazil in 2025. Norway will strengthen its cooperation with Brazil on global climate, nature and environmental issues, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity. This applies not only where Brazil and Norway have coinciding interests, but also where there are divergent views.
Constructive dialogue and well-functioning cooperation with leading countries such as Brazil is important in order to secure support for Norwegian priorities and find joint solutions to common challenges.
Norway will seek opportunities for strategic cooperation through international and bilateral processes and negotiations.
Sustainable ocean economy.
Clean and productive oceans are more important than ever, and a sustainable ocean economy will create more prosperity for all. Dialogue with Brazil on the link between the state of the marine environment and economic development will therefore be key. Knowledge-based management to ensure effective and comprehensive plans for the conservation and sustainable use of marine areas and resources is a high priority for Norway. The negative impacts on marine ecosystems are largely transboundary. They must be addressed through international efforts, for example by ensuring broad support for “the High Seas Treaty” (BBNJ Agreement) and efforts to combat fisheries crime, environmental crime and plastic pollution. The ocean also plays a key role in achieving climate targets. Thus, there is a great need to promote the importance of integrated and sustainable ocean management internationally, and Norway wants to join forces with Brazil to promote this agenda in international forums.
Food security.
Both Norway and Brazil are committed to food security and the fight against hunger. Norway has developed close cooperation with Brazil in this area, particularly in 2024 when Norway was a G20 guest country during Brazil’s presidency. Norwegian authorities will build on this, for instance by promoting the importance of fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition. Through NICFI, Norway supports Brazil’s transition to sustainable agriculture. Norway will keep food and climate high on the agenda in relevant forums, and will continue its cooperation with Brazil in this area.
Research and innovation.
Cooperation within research and innovation on climate, the environment and food security is important in the bilateral cooperation between Brazil and Norway. This is discussed further in chapter 4.
Box 3.2 Climate-friendly shipping corridor
At the beginning of 2025, Norway and Brazil entered into a partnership for climate-friendly shipping. The aim is to establish a route between Brazil and Europe where ships can use technology and fuels that produce less greenhouse gas emissions. Together, Norway and Brazil have the expertise and technology to lead the way with a project that can demonstrate the potential of green (decarbonised) shipping to the whole world. A pilot project will initially identify suitable routes, ports and fuels with key partners in the shipping industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
Goal 3: Strengthened cooperation on climate, environment and food security to help combat climate change, preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable development.
Climate and forest cooperation.
Norway will continue the close and strong collaboration with Brazil to reduce and reverse the loss of tropical forests.
Multilateral efforts for climate, nature and the environment.
Norway will strengthen cooperation on global climate, nature and environmental issues and seek opportunities for a strategic partnership with Brazil with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity.
Sustainable ocean management.
Norway will further develop the bilateral dialogue on sustainable ocean management and strengthen the multilateral cooperation with Brazil on the protection and sustainable use of the world’s oceans.
Food security.
Norway will continue its cooperation with Brazil to fight hunger and poverty, and increase climate- and nature-friendly food production globally.