Accomplishing the nationally determined contributions in Brazil: the efforts of the brazilian electrical sector in the implementation of the Paris Agreement

Abstract

Four years after the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Brazilian Government are still struggling with the first draft of the National Strategy for the Implementation and Financing of Brazil's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Based on simulations demonstrating Brazil's ability to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, the present study aims to analyze the status of Brazil’s NDCs and establish a link with ongoing process reform of the electric legal framework. In the results, this study shows that the Brazilian electricity sector is not contributing to the achievement of the Paris targets, rather it has become more carbon intensive and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions is predicted for the next few decades. In favor a new paradigm for the sector is presented here, based on eco-efficiency, resilience, effective equality and sustainable socio-environmental development, with special attention to the Paris targets and Agenda 2030.