More than 600 landfills across Brazil have been deactivated in a one-year period, according to a survey by Abetre. The closure of landfills has been being promoted by the Lixão Zero programme, launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Environment. The Sanitation Framework, sanctioned in July 2020, also established the closure of all dumps in Brazil by 2024.
Source: Agencia Brasil
Category: Geopolitics
Information about international affairs that can impact the Brazilian economy.
Study shows that 70% of waste in Brazilian seas is plastic
Research by the Brazilian Association of Public Cleaning Companies and Special Waste (Abrelpe) shows that plastic is responsible for 70% of the waste found in Brazilian seas. According to the study, conducted during 2020, Styrofoam is the second most present waste, with a 10% share. The data, released are from the Lixo Fora D’Água project, from Abrelpe, started in 2018.
Source: UOL Noticias
Brazilian agriculture is a development model for other countries in the tropical belt
The tropical agriculture model based on science, technology and innovation implemented in Brazil, which has made the country one of the world’s leading players in the sector, is the way to strengthen developing countries in the tropical belt. Tropical agriculture is one of the ways to reduce hunger and ensure peace and food security in the countries of the Americas, Africa and Asia, said former Agriculture Minister Alysson Paolinelli, nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.
Source: Money Times
Climate change adds pressure on Brazil’s power system
Climate change is suspected to have a direct impact on the Brazilian power sector and consumers’ electricity bills. Between 2016 and 2020, the inflow of water into hydroelectric dams because of rains was well below the average recorded by the National Electricity System Operator (ONS) in a period of almost nine decades: 85.6% in the Southeast/Central-West (the main system in the country), 49.3% in the Northeast, 88.4% in the South and 76.2% in the North.
Source: Valor International
IDB announces $20 mm for Amazon development fund
The president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mauricio Claver-Carone, announced that the agency will allocate $20 million in seed capital to a fund for the sustainable development of the Amazon, during the institution’s annual meeting in Colombia. President Jair Bolsonaro, present by video conference, applauded the IDB’s decision and called for “effectiveness” in its execution.
Source: UOL Economia
Vale to invest $2.3 bn in four filtration plants
Vale has gradually begun operating the tailings filtration plant at Vargem Grande Complex, the first of four that will be installed at the company’s operations in Minas Gerais, with investments of $2.3 bn between 2020 and 2024. In a statement, the mining company said on Tuesday that the start of the operation reduces the need to use tailings dams.
Source: UOL Economia
Brazil leads wind energy growth in Latin America in 2020
Wind power grew by 62% in Latin America and North America in 2020 compared to 2019. Capacity grew by 22 gigawatts (GW) to 168 GW. The country leading the rise is the US, with around 17 GW more between 2019 and last year, which represents an 85% rise in output. Already when we look only at Latin America we see Brazil in first place, with a rise of 2.3 GW in production.
Source: Money Times
Cerrado conservation projects may receive up to $30,000
Associations and cooperatives operating in the Cerrado region may receive up to $ 30K (about R$ 160,000) to develop projects to strengthen governance and minimize the negative impacts of the covid-19 pandemic in these territories. Entities that fit into the concept of Territories and Areas Conserved by Indigenous and Local Communities (TICCA) are eligible for the program.
Source: Agencia Brasil
Plastic recycling rate in the country grew by 8.5%
The post-consumer plastics recycling rate in the country stood at 24% in 2019, an increase of 8.5% compared to the previous year. Post-consumer plastics are the plastic material discarded in residential homes and in places such as shopping malls, commercial establishments and offices. According to the study, in 2019, the last year with consolidated data, 838,000 tonnes of recycled plastics were produced.
Source: Money Times
Aneel estimates impact of $245 mm with reduction in flow of Belo Monte
In a letter sent to the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, the National Electrical Energy Agency states that the change in the flow of the Belo Monte dam will have an impact of around R$1.3 billion ($245 mm) for consumers in January and February 2021. The cost increase, according to Aneel, is a consequence of activating more thermoelectric generation to compensate for the plant’s decrease in production.
Source: Canal Energia
