Greenhouse gas mitigation options in Brazil for land-use change, livestock and agriculture

C. C. C. C. Cerri (1) , Martial Bernoux Bernoux (2) , S. M. F. S. M. F. Maia (1) , C. E. P. C. E. P. Cerri (3) , Ciniro Junior C. J. Costa (1) , B. J. B. J. Feigl (1) , L. A. L. A. Frazao (4) , F. F. D. F. F. D. Mello (5) , M. V. M. V. Galdos (1) , C. S. C. S. Moreira (5) , J. L. N. J. L. N. Carvalho (4)

1 Laboratorio de Biogeoquímica Ambiental
2 UMR Eco&Sols - Ecologie fonctionnelle et biogéochimie des sols et des agro-écosystèmes
3 Departamento de Ciência do Solo
4 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Solos e Nutrição de Plantas
5 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências

National inventories of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (implementation of the National Communications) are organized according to five main sectors, namely: Energy, Industrial Processes, Agriculture, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LUCF) and Waste. The objective of this study was to review and calculate the potential of greenhouse gas mitigation strategies in Brazil for the Agricultural and LUCF. The first step consisted in an analysis of Brazilian official and unofficial documents related to climate change and mitigation policies. Secondly, business as usual (BAU) and mitigation scenarios were elaborated for the 2010-2020 timeframe, and calculations of the corresponding associated GHG emissions and removals were performed. Additionally, two complementary approaches were used to point out and quantify the main mitigation options: a) following the IPCC 1996 guidelines and b) based on EX-ACT. Brazilian authorities announced that the country will target a reduction in its GHG between 36.1 and 38.9% from projected 2020 levels. This is a positive stand that should also be adopted by other developing countries. To reach this government goal, agriculture and livestock sectors must contribute with an emission reduction of 133 to 166 Mt CO(2)-eq. This seems to be reachable when confronted to our mitigation option values, which are in between the range of 178.3 to 445 Mt CO(2)-eq. Government investments on agriculture are necessary to minimize the efforts from the sectors to reach their targets.

Mots clés: IPCC; EX-ACT; emission reduction; carbon fixation; soil carbon stocks; methane emission; sequestration; management; sugarcane; systems

Domaines: Sciences agricoles

C. C. C. C. Cerri, Martial Bernoux Bernoux, S. M. F. S. M. F. Maia, C. E. P. C. E. P. Cerri, Ciniro Junior C. J. Costa, et al.. Greenhouse gas mitigation options in Brazil for land-use change, livestock and agriculture. Scientia Agricola, 2010, 67 (1), pp.102-116. ⟨10.1590/s0103-90162010000100015⟩. ⟨hal-01000848⟩