The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Brazil

The document examines the tension between the 'green growth' agenda promoted by developed nations and Brazil's preference for 'sustainable development' and autonomous industrialisation. It argues that while Brazil possesses significant environmental assets, its domestic policies—including those of the BNDES and Petrobras—continue to prioritise short-term economic growth and fossil fuel consumption over a green transition. Internationally, Brazil aligns with BRICS and other emerging economies to resist binding emissions commitments and protectionist 'green' trade barriers, despite its own voluntary GHG reduction targets.

• A conceptual conflict emerged during the 2012 G-20 summit in Los Cabos between Mexico's 'green growth' agenda and Brazil's advocacy for 'sustainable development', resulting in a compromise motto: 'Promoting long-term prosperity through inclusive growth'.
• Brazilian policymakers generally perceive the green economy and green growth concepts as normative tools of developed countries that could create new international asymmetries and serve as a rationale for protectionist trade barriers against developing nations.
• Brazil's domestic policy is characterized by a trade-off where environmental and climate objectives are relegated to a second-tier priority compared to economic and social goals, driven by the 'Brasilia Consensus' which views green constraints as obstacles to rapid growth.
• While Brazil's GHG emissions were previously dominated by deforestation, the profile has shifted toward modern sectors; as of 2010, emissions were 35% from deforestation, 32% from energy, 25% from agriculture, 5% from industry, and 3% from waste.
• Brazilian industrial and financial policies often contradict green goals; for example, the BNDES prioritizes the quantitative expansion of physical investments and local content over low-carbon technologies, and the 2012 'Auto Regime' allows producers to bypass GHG reduction commitments.
• The discovery of 'pre-salt' offshore oilfields is expected to strengthen domestic economic interests linked to fossil fuels and increase opposition to a green energy transition, while the Energy Decennial Plan (2010–2020) focuses on large hydroelectric plants in the Amazon with high environmental risks.
• Internationally, Brazil coordinates with BRICS and BASIC members to avoid binding emissions reductions and international verification mechanisms unless financed by developed countries, despite Brazil's voluntary commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 36.1% to 38.9% by 2020.
• Brazil's challenges in transitioning to a green economy are not due to a lack of funding—evidenced by the Fundo Amazonia—but rather by domestic industrial priorities that favor the expansion of the industrial base over green innovation.

APA

Veiga, P. D. M., & Rios, S. P. (2013). The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Brazil. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Occasional-Paper-163.pdf

Chicago

Veiga, Pedro da Motta, and Sandra Polónia Rios. The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Brazil. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Occasional-Paper-163.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Veiga |first1=Pedro da Motta |last2=Rios |first2=Sandra Polónia |title=The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Brazil |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Occasional-Paper-163.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{veiga2013green, author = {Veiga, Pedro da Motta and Rios, Sandra Polónia}, title = {{The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Brazil}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Occasional-Paper-163.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }