Key facts
- Brazil intends to promote biofuels as a significant part of climate change policies at the COP31 summit.
- Brazil is the world's second-largest producer and consumer of biofuels.
- The Belem 4X pledge aims to quadruple global output and use of sustainable fuels by 2035.
- Biofuels are considered a crucial alternative for the energy transition, especially for developing countries.
- A roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels will be presented at COP31.
Brazil is set to champion the role of biofuels in climate change mitigation efforts at the upcoming COP31 summit in Turkey. Panelists at a preparatory event in Sao Paulo indicated that Brazil, a global leader in biofuel production and consumption, aims to position these sustainable fuels as a vital component of the international energy transition.
Despite pushback from some European environmental groups concerned about land use and expansion limitations, Brazil is committed to advancing its biofuel agenda. This commitment follows the launch of the Belem 4X pledge during COP30, which seeks to quadruple the global output and use of sustainable fuels by 2035. Mauricio Lyrio, energy, climate and environment secretary for Brazil's foreign affairs ministry, stated that consolidating biofuels as a crucial alternative for the energy transition will remain a priority.
Brazil's environment minister, Aloisio de Melo, highlighted that the expansion of biofuels and electricity generation are complementary strategies for economic transition. He emphasized Brazil's role in rallying countries that view biofuels as a viable option. Echoing this sentiment, Joao Paulo Capobianco, Brazil's environment and climate change minister, noted that while electrification is essential, scalable short-term alternatives like biofuels are particularly important for developing countries facing fiscal constraints.
Capobianco pointed to the modernization of Brazil's urban bus fleets as an example, suggesting that hybrid models using ethanol or biodiesel offer significant emission reductions at a lower cost compared to a full transition to electric vehicles, which would require massive public investment. Biofuels are also integral to Brazil's ongoing roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, a key initiative from the COP30 presidency that will be presented at COP31. Pedro Brancate, coordinator for the fossil fuel roadmap, stressed that accelerating the supply of non-fossil fuel energy sources is crucial for this transition, noting that fossil fuels still dominate the transport sector's energy demand.