In Brazil, the main sources of greenhouse gases emissions result from forest clearing, commonly for land conversion to pasture or cropland. The theme “land use change” is going to be discussed this Wednesday (8/31) by experts of the Task Force on Greenhouse Gases Emissions Inventory Methodologies of Brazilian Panel on Climate Change (Painel Brasileiro de Mudanças Climáticas – PBMC). The meeting is going to happen at the National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE) in São José dos Campos (SP), Brazil.
The meeting purpose is to initiate discussions for the preparation of a report on alternative methods and emission factors for all sectors contributing to greenhouse gases emissions or removals of Brazilian Atmosphere. The report aims to include, for instance, biomass density in different forest ecosystems, also changes in soil carbon stocks. The document will also present emission scenarios, estimates based on modeling, as well as dynamics of land occupation and its implications in greenhouse gases emissions calculation.
“The issue of land use change is the first one to be addressed by the Task Force. As the group’s works progresses, we will expand the discussion to include other sectors, particularly energy, industrial processes, agriculture and waste treatment,” says Thelma Krug, one of the Task Force coordinators.
The Panel
Inspired by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Brazilian Panel will produce reports with complete update of the technical and scientific bases on the Brazilian situation in the face of climate change, its risks, effects and impacts on the country development.
In addition to the Task Force, the Panel has three Working Groups (WGs). In 2012, is going to be launched the First Brazilian National Assessment Report (Relatório de Avaliação Nacional – RAN1), which will address scientific issues on climate change (WG 1); adaptation, including impacts and vulnerabilities (WG 2); and mitigation (WG 3).
The Task Force is up to regularly review the scientific literature, aimed at improving the application of IPCC guidelines for the national inventories of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by greenhouse gases sinks not controlled by the Montreal Protocol, in terms of determination and selection of alternative methodologies and emission factors related to national circumstances.
Source: Inpe
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