Uncovering Climate Obstruction Actors and Discourses in Argentina and Brazil

The document analyzes climate obstruction in Argentina and Brazil, identifying a shift toward explicit climate denial under President Javier Milei in Argentina and a complex mix of agribusiness-led obstruction and state-driven fossil fuel expansion in Brazil. It highlights how developmentalist ideologies and economic lobbying in both nations hinder the transition to low-carbon economies, despite Brazil's recent efforts to reduce Amazonian deforestation.

• In Argentina, climate obstruction primarily manifests as economic lobbying within the energy and agricultural sectors, with a growing trend toward explicit climate denial following the election of President Javier Milei.
• The Argentinian government under President Milei has taken several steps to weaken environmental governance, including dissolving the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and ordering negotiators to withdraw from COP29 in 2024.
• Climate obstruction in Brazil is characterized by the dismantling of environmental legislation led by the 'ruralistas' caucus and the activities of agribusiness groups involved in illegal deforestation and land grabbing ('grilagem').
• Under President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), Brazil experienced a significant increase in climate disinformation and a weakening of environmental governance, influenced by international connections to Donald Trump.
• Despite President Lula's priorities to eliminate deforestation by 2030, his administration continues to promote fossil fuel expansion, including joining OPEC+ in February 2025 and auctioning over 602 oil and gas blocks in December 2023.
• Both countries face a 'developmentalist' narrative where carbon-intensive activities are viewed as essential for economic prosperity, which creates a barrier to an ambitious energy transition.

APA

Edwards, G., Milani, C. R. S., Gutiérrez, R. A., McKie, R. E., Christel, L., & Pinto, J. B. (2025). Uncovering Climate Obstruction Actors and Discourses in Argentina and Brazil. Climate Social Science Network. https://cssn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Milani_Edwards-CSSN-Briefing-1.pdf

Chicago

Edwards, Guy, Carlos R. S. Milani, Ricardo A. Gutiérrez, Ruth E. McKie, Lucas Christel, and Janaína B. Pinto. Uncovering Climate Obstruction Actors and Discourses in Argentina and Brazil. Climate Social Science Network, 2025. https://cssn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Milani_Edwards-CSSN-Briefing-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Edwards |first1=Guy |last2=Milani |first2=Carlos R. S. |last3=Gutiérrez |first3=Ricardo A. |last4=McKie |first4=Ruth E. |last5=Christel |first5=Lucas |last6=Pinto |first6=Janaína B. |title=Uncovering Climate Obstruction Actors and Discourses in Argentina and Brazil |publisher=Climate Social Science Network |date=March 2025 |url=https://cssn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Milani_Edwards-CSSN-Briefing-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{edwards2025uncovering, author = {Edwards, Guy and Milani, Carlos R. S. and Gutiérrez, Ricardo A. and McKie, Ruth E. and Christel, Lucas and Pinto, Janaína B.}, title = {{Uncovering Climate Obstruction Actors and Discourses in Argentina and Brazil}}, institution = {Climate Social Science Network}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://cssn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Milani_Edwards-CSSN-Briefing-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }