Summary/Abstract
This “Supporting Technical Report” was written by Dr. Carlos Afonso Nobre and filed by plaintiffs in a Brazilian Federal District Court in the case Institute of Amazonian Studies v. Brazil.
In this report, Dr. Carlos Afonso Nobre assesses the impact of Amazon rainforest deforestation on global climate change, and on climate change impacts in Brazil. The author assesses both the impact of Brazilian deforestation on country-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as the effect of deforestation on the way that climate change will impact Brazil.
The report is organized around 24 discrete questions related to this topic, several of which explicitly invoke issues of climate change attribution science. These questions include:
- “Explain the relationship between forests and climate change, specifically with respect to the Amazon rainforest.”
- “Is it correct to say that the main emitter of GHG in the Brazilian economy is the deforestation of the Amazon? Why? Comment with the help of data.”
- “What is the importance of Amazonian deforestation control for climate stability in Brazil and the Planet?”
- “What would be the consequences of increased Amazon deforestation at the pace observed in recent years for the climate stability in Brazil?”
- “What are the risks to the agricultural production in Brazil caused by the deforestation of the Amazon and the respective climate changes originating from it?”
The underlying case, Institute of Amazonian Studies v. Brazil, arose when, on October 8, 2020, the Institute of Amazonian Studies (Instituto de Estudos Amazônicos – IEA) filed a Public Civil Action (class action) against the Federal Government of Brazil, seeking recognition of a fundamental right to a stable climate for present and future generations under the Brazilian Constitution, and seeking an order to compel the federal government to comply with national climate law. For more information about this case, visit the Sabin Center’s Climate Litigation Database.
Note: This climate attribution research was presented in the context of a contested legal proceeding. Different countries, courts, and legal forums may have different standards for expert testimony, and may conduct fact-finding based on legal standards of proof that differ from those applied in academic publishing. Readers should independently investigate and understand the bases for the assertions made in this document before applying this research in other contexts.