MAPPING OF URBAN CLIMATE INITIATIVES IN BRAZIL: PROMOTING MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR.

Abstract

The climate emergency necessitates the rapid implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies, particularly in urban transport, which accounts for approximately 47% of energy-related emissions in Brazil. This study aims to analyze how Brazilian cities are operationalizing climate actions by examining the "Urban Climate Initiative Mapping" from the Ministry of Cities. The research specifically investigates the stage of implementation of these actions, identifies synergies and tradeoffs, and evaluates their alignment with Brazil’s National Climate Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The methodology employs a qualitativeanalytical approach, utilizing a two-stage filtering process to isolate 26 transportspecific initiatives from a broader federal database. These initiatives were coded across three dimensions: intervention type, maturity level, and policy coherence. Key findings reveal that while most initiatives are in the initial or "ongoing" stages, specific projects demonstrate measurable impacts, such as the "Ecomilhas" platform, which has avoided 244,650 tons of CO2, and the LEED-certified Anália Franco Station, which reduced emissions by 214.61 tons. The analysis identifies a predominant focus on active mobility (bike lanes and sidewalks) and the early-stage electrification of bus fleets in cities like Curitiba and Camaçari. Furthermore, the paper provides evidence for the potential of upscaling and replication within the BRICS framework, citing the 2025 BRICS Ministerial Declaration and the BRICS Climate Partnership as guiding policy
structures. It argues that Brazil’s low-cost active mobility models are highly transferable to densely populated cities in countries like India and South Africa, which face similar structural gaps in transport capacity. The study concludes that while institutional gaps in GHG accounting persist, these local initiatives offer a scalable foundation for resilient, low-carbon urban transition across emerging economies