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116 results
The Fraud of “Clean” Natural Gas
The report details a 50-year campaign by the natural gas industry to brand its product as "clean energy" and a "bridge fuel." It argues that this was a strategic fraud designed to protect residential markets from electrification and later to facilitate a massive expansion of infrastructure. The document highlights the role of industry-funded research, specifically the Gas Research Institute (GRI), and a flawed 1996 joint study with the EPA that underestimated methane emissions to legitimize gas as a climate solution. It further describes how the industry used voluntary programs like Natural Gas STAR to fend off mandatory regulations and co-opted environmental organizations to lend credibility to its claims.
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Document type: Report
Unplanned urbanisation fuels landslide disasters amid emerging rainfall trends
In February 2026, intense rainfall in Minas Gerais, Brazil, caused over 70 deaths and displaced nearly 10,000 people, with Juiz de Fora being the most affected city. While climate models project a 7% increase in February rainfall with future warming, the immediate severity of the disaster was driven by high social vulnerability and unplanned urban expansion on steep slopes. Risk assessments had previously identified 130,000 residents in high-risk zones in Juiz de Fora. The study found that while early warnings were issued, topographical constraints and a lack of evacuation options hindered their effectiveness.
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Document type: Research paper
Rio de Janeiro Makes Streets Safer for School Children
WRI Brasil conducted 30 road-safety audits in Rio de Janeiro, providing the analytical basis for a $135.2 million World Bank loan. This funding has enabled the city to implement traffic-calming measures in 57 school-adjacent areas, including narrower roadways and expanded sidewalks, while funding broader goals like expanded cycling networks and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
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Document type: Case study
Where does Brazil stand with the implementation of the Forest Code
The 2025 report on Brazil's Forest Code implementation reveals a significant increase in CAR registration validation, rising from 3.3% to 9% of the national database, driven largely by automation in states like São Paulo and Paraná. While federal governance of the SICAR system has improved through new intergovernmental coordination and the operationalization of Environmental Reserve Quotas (CRAs), progress remains uneven across regions. The Northern region shows limited progress, while the Southeast is the most advanced. A critical bottleneck remains the lack of verifiable land tenure information, with approximately 30% of registrations in Mato Grosso showing spatial overlaps. Implementation of the PRA remains limited, with a small number of Environmental Compliance Agreements (TCs) relative to the volume of properties requiring restoration.
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Document type: Report
ERS Spotlight Landfill Covering and Methane Capture Jardim Gramacho, Rio de Janeiro, BRA
The Jardim Gramacho project in Rio de Janeiro, managed by COMLURB, has transitioned from being Latin America's largest landfill to a climate mitigation site. By implementing a landfill-gas capture system and large-scale mangrove restoration along Guanabara Bay, the project avoids an estimated 850,000 tonnes of CO2e annually. The document highlights that while conventional landfill closure is often mistaken for mitigation, active systems that capture methane for combustion or energy use, combined with biocovers and vegetation restoration, can effectively curb emissions from legacy waste sites.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Cómo cubrir y desmontar la desinformación y el greenwashing
The document defines climate disinformation as deliberately incorrect information used to manipulate or protect economic interests, and greenwashing as communication used by governments and companies to appear more sustainable than they are. It advises journalists to avoid 'false equidistance' by reflecting the scientific consensus that over 99% of specialized studies attribute climate change to human activity. Recommended reporting techniques include 'prebunking' (warning audiences about disinformation tactics) and the 'truth sandwich' method (starting and ending with facts while briefly addressing the myth). The guide emphasizes investigating the funding of science, particularly links to the fossil fuel industry, and examining the real-world impact of proposed climate solutions like carbon capture and plastic recycling, which it notes are often promoted by the fossil fuel industry despite limited impact. It highlights that while disinformation is a global phenomenon, its effects are most acute locally in regions with extractive projects and 'green transition' promises.
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Document type: Guide
CEO Note: Billions for Rainforests!
The Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) has launched with an initial $5 billion to reward countries and Indigenous communities for forest protection, with a long-term goal of reaching $125 billion to generate $4 billion in annual funding. Additionally, the Forest and Land Tenure Pledge secured $1.8 billion from four governments and various foundations to support Indigenous land protection. In Indonesia, the government committed to quadrupling the recognition of Indigenous lands to 1.4 million hectares of customary forests. Despite these gains, the document notes that nature receives less than 3% of total climate finance, despite representing 37% of the climate solution.
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Document type: Statement
Beyond Participation: The Countries Leading the Energy Transition at COP30
RMI highlights the transition from climate commitments to action across several global regions. China is leading in renewable deployment and clean tech exports, while Brazil focuses on low-carbon shipping and ambitious NDCs as the COP30 host. India is pursuing energy independence by 2047 through clean mobility and cooling innovations. Southeast Asia is scaling clean infrastructure and battery storage, and the United States continues to see subnational progress in grid optimization and clean industrialization despite federal delegation concerns.
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Document type: Briefing
Brazilian Waste Sector Methane Analysis
The report examines methane emissions from Brazil's waste sector, which accounts for 15% of the country's methane emissions. It identifies significant infrastructure gaps, such as the continued operation of approximately 2,000 inadequate disposal sites and a low organic waste recovery rate of 1%. While Brazil has a comprehensive regulatory framework, including the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) and the 'Fuel of the Future' law, implementation is hindered by financial constraints and a lack of technical capacity at the municipal level. The report recommends expanding composting, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas capture to meet Paris Agreement commitments and the targets of the National Solid Waste Plan (PLANARES).
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Document type: Report
Resiliente, mas ainda não transformador: o setor de petróleo e gás do Brasil em um mundo em descarbonização
The document analyzes Brazil's position as a top global oil producer, noting that while its current production is economically resilient to most climate scenarios, the pursuit of new frontiers like the Equatorial Margin carries high stranded asset risks. It highlights Brazil's potential to lead in low-carbon fuels and critical minerals but warns that a lack of coordinated industrial policy and investment in innovation may limit its competitiveness. The author recommends using advanced modeling to optimize investments in refining and green fuels and suggests leveraging diplomatic ties with China and the EU to diversify the economy post-fossil fuels.
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Document type: Case study
How petroganda is winning hearts and minds in Norway (and Brazil). something that everyone loves? HELP! How to resist
The report analyzes the 'petroganda' strategies of oil companies like Equinor, Shell, and BP, focusing on their use of community 'gifts' and cultural sponsorships to build social legitimacy and silence critics. It highlights specific cases in Norway and Brazil, such as the First Lego League and the Rouanet Youth Program, and discusses resistance strategies including civil disobedience and the 'Petroganda Prize'.
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Document type: Report
We Mean Business Coalition statement on business attendance at COP30
The We Mean Business Coalition urges companies to attend COP30 in Brazil, asserting that corporate presence provides essential innovation, capital, and operational expertise to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The statement emphasizes that business engagement is necessary to signal policy needs to governments and to ensure an inclusive transition that protects livelihoods across value chains. While acknowledging logistical uncertainties in Belém, the Coalition encourages global businesses to join regional peers in Brazil to showcase scalable solutions in energy, industry, nature protection, and infrastructure.
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Document type: Statement
International Climate Finance Tracking for Brazil
International climate finance for Brazil grew by 84% between the 2019–2020 and 2021–2022 biennia, reaching an average of US$ 5.1 billion per year. This growth was primarily driven by the energy sector, specifically solar and wind power, and was characterized by a shift toward commercial financing instruments. While Western Europe, led by France, was the largest regional provider, the AFOLU sector—responsible for most of Brazil's GHG emissions—received only 11% of the total finance. Public institutions provided 58% of the funds, with multilateral development finance institutions (DFIs) playing a dominant role, while private finance grew fourfold to reach 42% of the total.
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Document type: Report
International Climate Finance Tracking for Brazil
International climate finance for Brazil averaged US$ 5.1 billion per year in 2021–2022, an 84% increase from the 2019–2020 period. This growth was primarily driven by the energy sector, particularly solar and wind power, and a significant rise in private capital from commercial financial institutions. While Western Europe was the largest regional provider, the report highlights a stark imbalance in sectoral allocation: the AFOLU sector, responsible for most of Brazil's GHG emissions, received only 11% of total finance. The majority of funds were earmarked for mitigation (80%) and delivered via commercial debt and equity, while grants and concessional finance declined by 43%.
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Document type: Report
Mapeamento de Financiamento Climático Internacional para o Brasil
International climate finance to Brazil averaged R$ 26.6 billion per year in 2021–2022, an 84% increase from 2019–2020. Growth was primarily driven by the energy sector, specifically solar and wind power, and a significant rise in private commercial financing. While Western Europe, led by France, was the primary source, the AFOLU sector—responsible for most of Brazil's emissions—received only 11% of total funding, mostly through public multilateral sources.
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Document type: Report
Life After Expansion: The BRICS Quest for Institutional Coherence
The document analyzes the institutional strain on BRICS caused by its expansion, noting that while the bloc's global influence has grown, its consensus-based governance struggles with divergent member interests. It evaluates Brazil's 2025 presidency, which attempted to prioritize institutional development but saw most structural reforms deferred in the Rio Declaration. The authors contrast the informal nature of the broader bloc with the formal success of the New Development Bank (NDB) and propose six targeted, low-bureaucracy improvements—including a shared document repository and standardized onboarding—to improve operational effectiveness without sacrificing the group's flexible identity.
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Document type: Policy brief
Analisis Finansial Model Bisnis Pengelolaan Sampah
The report analyzes organic waste management models in Indonesia and Brazil, finding that decentralized, community-based, and household-level systems often offer greater cost-efficiency (lower Levelized Cost of Waste Management) than large-scale centralized projects. While private operators achieve economies of scale, community groups face severe financial pressure due to low operational margins and reliance on short-lived assets. The study recommends holistic policy approaches, legal recognition for informal workers, and the integration of co-benefits like job creation and methane reduction to attract more diverse funding, such as green bonds and carbon credits.
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Document type: Report
Análisis financiero de modelos de negocio de gestión de residuos sólidos
This report analyzes the financial viability and cost-efficiency of decentralized organic waste management models in Indonesia and Brazil. It compares government-operated, private, and community-led systems, finding that decentralized models—such as community groups in Indonesia and home composting in Brazil—often achieve lower Levelized Cost of Waste (LCOW) despite facing significant financial tensions and limited public funding. The study highlights that labor is the primary operating expense across all models and recommends a holistic approach that integrates informal workers and community actors into formal legal and financial frameworks to scale methane abatement.
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Document type: Report
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.
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Document type: Briefing
Climate change fuels record February heat in Brazil ahead of Carnival
In February 2025, Brazil experienced a record heatwave where temperatures reached up to 44°C, affecting over 170 million people. The event, linked to climate change, caused significant public health strain in Rio de Janeiro, water shortages in favelas, and school delays in Rio Grande do Sul.
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Document type: Fact sheet