Top Brazilian Organizations Unite in Alliance to Fight Climate Change

SAO PAULO, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fourteen major Brazilian
organizations representing the agribusiness, planted forests and bioenergy
sectors announced today the creation of the Brazilian Climate Alliance, with
the goal of contributing with solid proposals for the negotiations related to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The main focus is
the agenda that the Brazilian government has been defending in global
negotiations, culminating with the 15th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP
15), next December in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Alliance's Position Paper highlights the global nature of the challenges
linked to climate change as a key factor for organizations to unite behind a
single effort. The document also points to the need for coordinated and urgent
steps that prioritize available technologies that are economically viable and
ensure short-term impact. "In the Alliance's view, the position paper is a
work in progress that will evolve as negotiations and other initiatives along
the same lines progress," explains the President of the Brazilian Agribusiness
Association (ABAG), Carlo Lovatelli.

The strong contribution made by the sectors that form the Alliance to climate
change mitigation is emphasized, especially because they are sources of
renewable energy, such as ethanol, biodiesel, planted forests, wood charcoal
and other forms of biomass capable of substituting fossil and highly polluting
fuels. Together, the products from the sectors represented in the Alliance
account for over 20% of the entire Brazilian energy matrix. Moreover, the
potential to capture, maintain and increase carbon stocks among the sectors
represented in the Alliance is significant.

"It is essential for Brazil to move forward with proposals that increase the
possibilities of earning carbon credits, something to which Brazil's access
has been unfairly limited. It's as if we are being penalized for being
pioneers in various initiatives that clearly help to reduce carbon emissions,
but are not recognized by existing mechanisms, such as the large-scale
production and use of ethanol," observes the President of the Brazilian
Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), Marcos Jank.

The Brazilian Climate Alliance stresses that Brazil, a country with one of the
cleanest energy matrixes in the world, with over 40% of its makeup originating
from renewable sources, should play a leading role in global climate
discussions. "In spite of this number, the image that prevails and has to be
changed is that of a carbon-emitting Brazil, particularly because of
deforestation and burnings that happen in the Amazon. For that reason, Brazil
ends up being included among the villains of global warming," said Elizabeth
de Carvalhaes, Executive President of the Brazilian Pulp and Paper Association
(Bracelpa).

The Position Paper emphasizes that the sectors represented in the Alliance
contribute with 16% of Brazil's total exports. These sectors are also
recognized for developing and disseminating responsible production practices
that end up not receiving due recognition. This is a situation that directly
and negatively impacts access to important consumer markets, which see these
sectors out of context and as a result, penalize their products.

The Brazilian Climate Alliance's position is divided into two pillars: (i)
recommendations regarding the international procedures that should be defined
by the negotiations under the Climate Convention, and (ii) recommendations for
steps that should be taken by Brazil.

Among recommendations with a global scope, the following are worth noting:

-- Reductions in the rate of deforestation proposed in the National Plan
on
Climate Change should be the object of a clear commitment by Brazil
before the international community as Nationally Appropriate
Mitigation
Actions, known as NAMAs, which are voluntary commitments made by
developing countries to mitigate climate change under the Convention;

-- It is necessary to revise the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and
make
it more practical. Since the CDMs were created to allow developing
countries to contribute with mitigation goals undertaken by developed
countries, it is essential to develop methodologies that are simpler
and
more effective, as well as capable of encouraging projects within
specific sectors;

-- Insurance mechanisms and periodic monitoring are recommended as a
solution to the issue of "risk of non-permanence," which
refers to the maintenance of carbon sequestration in forest projects.
To
that end, it is essential for the European Union to remove internal
barriers to the commercialization of forestry credits under the scope
of
the CDM;

-- It is vital that Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions, or NAMAs,
also consider agricultural, planted forests and bioenergy activities
that effectively contribute to the reduction of emissions, or to
remove
greenhouse gases from the atmosphere;

-- The mechanism known as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and
Degradation (REDD) should be structured to ensure that financial
incentives resulting from it go directly to the agents responsible for
reductions, such as traditional communities and rural landowners;

In terms of specific steps by the Brazilian government, the Alliance
recommends the adoption of initiatives aimed at the development of a
low-carbon economy:

-- Search for improvements in the integration of various government
sectors
and levels concerned with the issue, to prevent against contradictory
proposals, or steps that do not consider the opportunities generated
by
international mitigation mechanisms such as the CDM and others that
could be developed in the future;

-- National public policies designed to achieve mitigation should
privilege
emission reduction trading mechanisms, avoiding the common practice
of
simply taxing carbon emissions;

-- In addition to multilateral negotiations, to recognize the importance
for Brazil of a simultaneous and pro-active strategy of bilateral
negotiations on climate change, and the challenges and opportunities
that such negotiations can produce;

-- To enhance the relationship between government and private sector,
through a permanent consultation and dialogue mechanism on
international
negotiations related to climate change.

Organizations that form the Brazilian Climate Alliance:

ABAG - Brazilian Agribusiness Association
ABAG/RP - Brazilian Agribusiness Association for the Ribeirao Preto region
ABIOVE - Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries
ABRAF - Brazilian Association of Forest Plantation Producers
ABTCP - Brazilian Pulp and Paper Technical Association
ALCOPAR - Association of Alcohol and Sugar Producers of the State of Parana
Association
ARES - Institute for Responsible Agribusiness
BIOSUL - Bioenergy Producers Association of Mato Grosso do Sul
BRACELPA - Brazilian Pulp and Paper Association
ICONE (technical support) - Institute for International Trade Negotiations
ORPLANA - Sugarcane Growers Association of the Center South Region of Brazil
SIAMIG - Alcohol Manufacturing Industry's Union of Minas Gerais
SIFAEG - Syndicate of the Industry of Fabrication of Alcohol of the State of
Goias
UNICA - Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association

ABOUT UNICA
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) represents the top
producers of sugar and ethanol in the country's South-Central region,
especially the state of Sao Paulo, which accounts for about 50% of the
country's sugarcane harvest and 60% of total ethanol production. UNICA
develops position papers, statistics and specific research in support of
Brazil's sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity sectors. In 2008, Brazil produced
an estimated 565 million metric tons of sugarcane, which yielded 31.3 million
tons of sugar and 25.7 billion liters (6.8 billion gallons) of ethanol.

Please note that CDN Corporate Communications can supply contact information
for any of the other organizations that participate in the Brazilian Climate
Alliance

.
SOURCE The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA)

CDN Corporate Communications - Sao Paulo, Brazil: Rosa Webster - (5511) 3643
2707, rosa.webster@cdn.com.br, or Mariane dos Santos - (5511) 3643 2730,
mariane.santos@cdn.com.br