Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Rio Prepares for Climate Change

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 17 2007 (IPS) - Rio de Janeiro, threatened with losing its beautiful beaches as sea levels rise, will be the first Brazilian state to complete a plan to mitigate the effects of climate change. The plan will be presented at the international climate conference in Bali, Indonesia, on Dec. 8, along with a local inventory of emissions of carbon dioxide.

“Rio is the first state in Brazil to create a carbon office, to promote the Vegetable Oil Re-Use Program, to mix five percent biodiesel in bus fuel, and to include the question of vulnerability in environmental permits,” Carlos Minc, state environment secretary, told Tierramérica.

The plan and the inventory will help establish “priorities for investment and orient attention to specific areas,” like coastal zone and the recovery of methane gas from garbage dumps, says Suzana Kahn, state superintendent for climate and carbon markets.