Speaker: Dr Joana Portugal Pereira

In the last 20 years, Brazil has implemented ambitious climate mitigation policies aiming to control illegal deforestation and land-use change and rise renewable energy share in the energy supply sector. As a result, between 1990 and 2015, the   rate  of  deforestation  in  the  Brazilian  legal Amazon region  has  dropped  by  more  than  two-thirds. However, deforestation rates have increased by more than 50% since the country’s new far-right president took over. What are the major drivers of deforestation? What has triggered the recent Amazon fires? What can be done to protect the Brazilian legal Amazon ecosystems? This seminar aims to explore the Brazil’s climate mitigation policy, key drivers of deforestation in the country and potential strategies to solve the current Amazon crisis.