Tuesday Seminar on Latin American Studies

Date: 

Tuesday, April 2, 2019, 12:00pm to 2:00pm

Location: 

CGIS South Building, 1730 Cambridge Street, Room S250

"Climate Policy/Politics in Brazil: Recent Trajectories and Prospectives"

Speaker:

Eduardo Viola, Professor of International Relations, University of Brasilia; Senior Researcher, Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development.

Moderator:

Steven Levitsky, Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global Populism/Challenges to Democracy. David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies, Department of Government, Harvard University; Harvard College Professor.

Contact:

Jillian Scales
jscales@fas.harvard.edu

Abstract:

After being the most irrational carbon emitter in the world (1987-2004), Brazil was successful in promoting a dramatic reduction of deforestation in the Amazon in 2005-2012. Because of this the Brazilian government was relatively successful in creating a myth of the country as a climate leader. Emissions from deforestation has been growing again since 2013 and stagnation has been the mark in energy transition. The last years of economic decline, political crisis and widespread corruption have undermined public attention to climate issues. At its beginning the Bolsonaro administration doesn't look climate friendly, it remains to be seen if an eventual success of the Paulo Guedes economic policy and Sergio Moro anti-corruption/crime policy will renew the interest on climate issues among Brazilians with correspondent impact in climate policy.