On June 6, a series of five Decrees were published aiming to create and strengthen the institutional architecture for combating climate change in Brazil. Councils, Commissions, and Committees have been established to centralize the implementation of Brazilian policies to combat climate change, grant powers, establish competencies, and ensure the participation of several public and private involved actors.
Decree No. 11,546/2023 establishes the Brazilian National Council for the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-30), which is expected to be held in Brazil. This Council will take the following roles: coordination of the logistics and activities of the COP-30, establishment of the governance structure, deliberation for the preparation and follow-up of the event organization. It will be coordinated by the Civil House, and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Planning, Environment, and Cities will participate.
Decree No. 11,547/2023 creates the Low Carbon Industry Technical Committee whose purpose is to promote the articulation of public and private bodies and entities to implement, monitor, and review public policies, initiatives and projects that stimulate the transition to the economy of low carbon in the country's industrial sector. Despite its advisory character, its composition is quite robust, since it will be coordinated by the Ministry of Development, and it will have the participation of ten Ministries, and representatives of sectoral, business and union associations, in the state and federal scope.
Decree No. 11,548/2023 provides for the Brazilian National Commission for the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, Conservation of Forest Carbon Stocks, Sustainable Management of Forests and Increase of Forest Carbon Stocks (REDD+), aiming to coordinate, follow, monitor, and review the National Strategy for REDD+, as well as coordinate the preparation of requirements for access to payments for REDD+ results in the country, recognized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Ministry of the Environment will chair the Commission, and it will feature representatives from nine other ministries, state environmental entities, indigenous peoples, and traditional communities, among others.
Decree No. 11,549/2023, in turn, changes some rules to strengthen the Brazilian National Fund on Climate Change.
Finally, Decree No. 11,550/2023 deals with the Interministerial Committee on Climate Change (CIM) whose purpose is to monitor the implementation of actions and public policies within the scope of the federal Executive Branch related to the National Policy on Climate Change (PNMC). The CIM will be the institutional arm of the PNMC, and will be presided over by the Civil House, and composed of representatives of 16 other Ministries, in addition to the General Secretariat of the Presidency.
Based on the entities created by these Decrees, climate change can be fought in Brazil in a more coordinated, effective, legitimate, and democratic matter.
