Joao Sampaio, Secretary of Agriculture and Supply for the State of Sao Paulo, outlines how Brazil is fully committed to delivering a low carbon economy as part of any Copenhagen deal

Rhetoric alone will not solve the climate change challenges ahead of the global community—the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable and less polluting energy sources is inarguably one of the key variables to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Numerous studies have illustrated the formidable and urgent nature of the challenge. Mankind has precious little room to navigate, given our propensity to throw the maximum volume of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. To keep Earth's temperature from increasing more than two degrees in relation to pre-industrial levels—the accepted maximum increase to avoid ecological disaster—the maximum volume of carbon emissions cannot exceed 500 billion tons. A consensus of international agencies puts current annual emission at 10 billion. The mathematics are irrefutable—within 40 years, not a single gram could be emitted. How can sustainable economic growth worldwide continue and still stay within these parameters?

In light of these contemporary dilemmas affecting modern civilization, it is particularly worrisome to note the pessimism regarding the possibility of a global agreement in the United Nations Climate change Conference. And yet there are rising stars bridging this insight gap, with Brazil assuming a leading position and asserting its offer of plentiful hydroelectric energy and burgeoning biofuel production capabilities. In fact, these are concrete answers to the many challenges of sustainability. Brazil already uses 46 per cent of renewable resources versus 12 per cent of the global average and 6 per cent within the scope of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. The United States, European Union, Japan and China account for 80 per cent of world emission totals, whereas Brazil currently accounts for about 2 per cent.

Today Brazil uses only 25 per cent of its hydroelectric potential—potential that should be better utilised since it is a renewable and clean energy that is priced competitively. Hydroelectric generation does not depend on imported technology and capital goods and the operating costs of the installed power plants is low, making this investment much more pertinent than investment in generation units fueled by gas, coal or enriched uranium.

Agriculture is an even more strategic advantage for Brazil's renewable energy infrastructure, further strengthening the country's position as a key participant in any climate change mitigation programs. Ethanol produced from sugarcane reduces carbon dioxide emissions, the principal gas contributing to the greenhouse effect, by up to 90 per cent according to recent studies. Globally, Brazil has the largest available land area to be tilled—100m hectares, with farming and cattle currently occupying 235m hectares of which sugarcane covers only 1.25 per cent. This is sufficient to distill approximately 22bn litres of ethanol per year. If added to all the gas consumed in the world at a 10 per cent ratio, this sustainable energy source would reduce vehicle emissions by about nine per cent. The increasing impact of ethanol on Brazil's adjustment of the country's energy matrix is already reflected in the 10th Agricultural Census, just published by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. This is the most comprehensive analysis of the primary agricultural sector production structure, presenting the profile of the 5.2m rural properties and distributed by the country's 5,564 municipalities.

In 2006, the study’' base year, agricultural facilities occupied 36.75 per cent of the Brazilian territory of 8.51m square kilometers. The total production amount was 147.26bn Reais (the Brazilian legal tender, equivalent to about US$87bn). The properties where sugarcane production is the primary activity represents about 14 per cent of that land mass, an index identical to soybean, a consolidated, high-demand commodity. Both sugarcane and soybeans were ranked first in the agribusiness revenue stake - strong evidence of the importance of ethanol which currently supplies a significant portion of the fleet of cars and light all purpose vehicles manufactured in Brazil.

The census also reaffirmed the importance of the agricultural economy of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populated state accounting for about 34 per cent of GDP and about 18 per cent of Brazilian agribusiness. Sao Paulo's significant role in the production of sugarcane and development of technologies for utilisation of ethanol, like flex-fuel vehicles using both ethanol and gasoline, is particularly noteworthy.

Technological innovation and the mechanization of the sugarcane harvest in the Sao Paulo ethanol facilities account for double the production compared against the rest of Brazil—39 per cent versus 19 per cent. Even more significant is the prevalence of sustainable farming practices in Sao Paulo’s rural regions where 45 percent of farmers make contour lines, essential to prevent erosion and depletion of ground nutrients, compared to the national average of 29 per cent. Reforestation efforts are noteworthy as well, since Sao Paulo has 30 per cent of the country's Eucalyptus trees, a tree which sequesters significant volumes of carbon dioxide. Sao Paulo's Governor, Jose' Serra, has instituted laws in the state to further improve greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

Considering the relevance of agribusiness in the process of mitigating climate changes and Brazil's great potential in this crucial issue, the country gains both political and diplomatic strength by signing and committing to the G77 (emerging and developing countries) proposal to reduce emissions by 40 per cent in the scope of manufactured products and allocation of resources to help other countries reduce their own emissions. However, to have credibility and enforce its positions, Brazil must show both seriousness and competence in overcoming its own bottlenecks in solving rural sector problems and environmental issues.

The first requirement—to formulate a more effective national agribusiness policy, with greater synergy between the ministries of the Brazilian federal government to harmonize production of biofuels and food and to continue to reduce the rate of greenhouse gas emission. Dissertations on these topics, widely disseminated in both domestic and international media, tend to weaken Brazil's position in conference deliberations of the subject.

Finally, Brazil needs to assert itself as protagonist in mankind's fight against climate change, It must not only demand compensation from wealthy countries to reduce its own emissions but must also refrain from bargaining with them due to Brazil's potential as their source of clean and renewable energy. To Brazil, it seems as if the world thinks the fabulous Amazon region and its huge water reserves and sugarcane plantations were located on another planet.

In Copenhagen, Brazil presents aspiration and potential to make sustainability a reality, but it cannot omit itself from its own ecological commitment! Brazil must send affirmed commitment to restraining illegal deforestation, which accounts for 75 per cent of the country's carbon emissions according to the last national inventory on this topic. Other commitments—the reduction of nitrogen fertilizers and the use of leguminous plants as ecologically-friendly "green manure"; "no till" farming that minimally rotates soil and avoids release of carbon concentrates; integration of crops and cattle raising; green cane harvesting to avoid ground clearing by fire; and the use of vegetative by-products to produce biodiesel.

Contribution and commitment should therefore constitute the hallmark of Brazil's presence in the Climate Conference. This strong, accountable position is compatible with a country that considers itself among the leadership of emerging countries in the global debate about sustainability, and would confer credibility and respect upon Brazil, thereby legitimising its prerogative of defending lower emission levels by developed countries. Contribution and commitment are expected from all nations—these are the only attitudes that can prevent a repeat of the disappointing failure of Kyoto. In mankind's decisive battle against climate change, agribusiness must be leveraged as a solution, not viewed as a problem.

Joao Sampaio is Secretary of Agriculture and Supply of the State of Sao Paulo, and Chairman of the National Council for Food and Nutritional Security (CONSEA), Brazil