Brazilian municipalities of small and medium size advance in tackling the climate crisis
June 4, 2024, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) – During the World Environment Week, we celebrate the progress of 13 Brazilian cities of small and medium size in addressing climate change through the construction of their Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories. Of these, seven cities (60%) are led by female mayors. Based on indicators and scientific data, the document allows local governments to understand the profile of emissions from different sectors and to have technical guidance to guide their climate action plans.
This work is the result of mentoring organized by the Alziras Institute, the Brazilian Association of Municipalities, the National Front of Mayors (FNP), and the ICLEI, to strengthen actions against the climate emergency in small and medium-sized municipalities in the country. This activity was carried out in collaboration and with the support of the European Union through the National Consultative Committee of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy of Brazil, and with the technical support of the Instituto Nosso Clima in its implementation. According to data from the SEEG Municipalities platform, 88% of emissions in the country’s cities occur in localities with up to 100 thousand inhabitants, reinforcing the need for the engagement of less populous localities in addressing the climate crisis.
We highlight that municipal teams received free training to collect climate data on open data platforms, learned to use active transparency tools based on the Access to Information Law, and were trained to monitor the evolution of these indicators autonomously, without the need to hire external consultancy, allowing municipal budget resources to be directed towards prioritizing final actions to implement local climate policies.
The mentoring contributed to strengthening institutional capacities through the use of tools and knowledge packages that generate learning to be applied by municipal teams in other actions of their daily lives, promoting an improvement in the vision of public policies related to climate. Furthermore, the creation of a network of cities that shared this journey allowed the consolidation of collaborative ties for the exchange of experiences and good practices beyond municipal borders. Finally, the initiative contributed to making visible the work done by city governments and to boosting the protagonism and engagement of their teams in the global climate agenda, training and inspiring new multiplier agents and climate leaders.
Through this work, the municipalities of Abaetetuba (PA), Barcarena (PA), Brasiléia (AC), Cáceres (MT), Cariranha (BA), Cordeirópolis (SP), Formoso do Araguaia (TO), Francisco Morato (SP), Indiaroba (SE), São Cristóvão (SE), Jandaíra (RN), Sirinhaém (PE), and Sobral (CE) take a prominent position internationally in adopting the best global practices to curb global warming and deal with its catastrophic effects, ensuring more dignified living conditions for their population. Reversing climate changes is not only a technical and scientific challenge but also a social, economic, and political one, requiring adaptations and changes in concepts and cultures. Drawing up the emissions inventory is an important step on this path towards more resilient cities that place care for life and nature at the center of all their decisions.