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    Improving State-Level Environmental Governance in Brazil / Melhorar Gestão Ambiental Estadual no Brasil

    Friday, September 25th, 2009

    Temas Observation: Note how this loan/project is being marketed. The headline trumpets “green growth” when in reality the program is more about strengthening environmental governance/institutions, arguably not as sexy a topic. The Bank argues that this is about ensuring economic growth is as green as possible through good regulation by competent, properly-equipped environmental regulators…seems like […]

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    CO2 Emissions Increase from Brazilian Industry and Transport

    Thursday, August 27th, 2009

    The Environment Ministry (MMA) is considering further measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from industry and the energy sector. Estimates released today by Environment Minister Carlos Minc shows that industry and power generation and consumption are increasing their share of Brazil’s total GHG emissions. The new estimates suggest that Brazil is moving towards an […]

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    Caixa Creates Label for Sustainable Housing

    Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

    Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF, popularly known among Brazilians as simply “Caixa”), Latin America’s largest public bank, is already involved in promoting green building though its insistence on construction using certified wood and its concessionary financing for the installation of the solar panels and water heaters in Brazil’s recently announced “My House My Life” Program to […]

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    Caixa to Help Fund Solar Water Heater Installations

    Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

    Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF, popularly known among Brazilians as simply “Caixa”), Latin America’s largest state-owned bank, has affirmed that as part of the “Green Protocol” of commitments signed last year with the Environment Ministry (MMA), it will through its weight (and funding) behind projects that promote sustainable housing.  In addition to its new sustainable housing […]

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    Checking on the Green Protocol

    Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

    At a ceremony today in which Brazil’s Central Bank joined public and private banks in signing the “Green Protocol” of environmental commitments, Environment Minister Carlos Minc announced that an upcoming meeting with public banks and the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) will the rules for reporting how banks are meeting their Protocol commitments.  Proper reporting, […]

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    Brazilian Banks Assume Environmental Commitment

    Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

    Brazilian businesses depending on bank financing for their economic activities will have to prove from now on that they are committed to developing socio-environmental policies, such as those regarding respect for human and workers’ rights, conservation of biodiversity, valuing the diversity of local cultures, reduction of poverty and income distribution inequality. This is the intended […]

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    One Million Environment-Friendly Homes

    Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

    If you have followed Brazil much in recent years, President Lula’s interest in building “popular housing” for low-income households will not surprise you, and if you read The Temas Blog, you know that many of those being built already are fitted with solar water heaters on their roofs. But the Lula Administration is now taking […]

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    A Symbolic Ban of Asbestos

    Thursday, January 29th, 2009

    Brazil’s Environment Minister, Carlos Minc, just banned asbestos. Well, not quite.  He announced at the World Social Forum that has banned, through an administrative rule (portaria), the use of any product containing asbesto fibers in construction or goods acquired by the Environment Ministry (MMA) and its associated organs: the national environment agency, IBAMA, the Chico […]

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    A Unique Environmental Institution

    Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

    Right now, until 05 February, environmental groups across Brazil are electing their representatives on the National Environment Council (Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente – CONAMA). The more than 500 environment nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the Environment Ministry’s (MMA) National Registry of Environmental Entities (Cadastro Nacional de Entidades Ambientalistas – CNEA) are voting for which individuals […]

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    Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon Drops

    Friday, January 23rd, 2009

    Brazil’s Environment Minister, Carlos Minc, just announced at a press conference that the pace of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell 82% in the last five months of 2008 compared to a similar period in 2007. Minc attributes the drop to two factors: policies put into place by the federal government and regional authorities, and […]

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