Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG) takes a mix of positive and negative positions on climate policy in Brazil, with active engagement. ABAG consistently emphasizes the sector’s role as a climate solution, highlighting sustainable production practices and biofuels. However, it also pushes back on policies it considers misaligned with Brazil’s agricultural model, such as the European Green Deal, and negatively engages with land use climate-related legislation.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: ABAG's top-line messaging on climate policy is broadly supportive. In a May 2025 submission to the public consultation on the National Climate Change Plan, ABAG called for policies and adaptation measures to strengthen the agricultural sector’s climate resilience. In an April 2025 position paper, the association recognized the need to respond to climate change. Earlier, in its November 2024 Climate Solutions from Agriculture on the Road to COP30 publication, ABAG endorsed the Brazilian Agricultural Policy for Climate Adaptation and Low Carbon Emission (ABC+ Plan), and promoted agriculture as a key part of the climate solution. In the same publication, ABAG encouraged Brazil to present more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP30, framing the event as a historic opportunity for national climate leadership.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: ABAG takes a mix of positive and negative positions on specific climate-related policies. In an opinion piece from December 2024, ABAG's president, Luiz Carlos Corrêa Carvalho criticized the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as protectionist and scientifically unfounded, arguing it disregards local realities, such as Brazil’s use of biofuels. In a May 2024 joint contribution, ABAG supported the creation of the Brazilian Emissions Trading System (SBCE), describing it as “highly relevant” for combating climate change and protecting the environment. However, agriculture is not included in the SBCE's scope. Earlier, at a May 2023 public hearing, ABAG also endorsed the Brazilian National Biofuel Policy (RenovaBio), framing it as a central instrument for fuel decarbonization, and arguing it should not be merged into the broader carbon market.
Positioning on Land-Use Policy: ABAG's engagement with land-use regulations is broadly negative. In May 2025, ABAG signed a joint letter, urging the President of the Federal Senate to advance Bill 2159/2021, which would weaken Brazil’s environmental licensing rules. In an October 2024 joint letter addressed to federal ministries, ABAG discouraged methane and nitrous oxide reduction strategies based on cutting livestock or fertilizer use, instead promoting improvements to production practices and technological solutions. In the same letter, it supported a net-zero deforestation target for Brazil’s NDC, which could include reforestation using cultivated forest, while calling for greater transparency in how the deforestation targets are modeled.
Positioning on Energy Transition: ABAG engages on the energy transition with a mix of positive and negative positions. In a May 2025 position paper, it described sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as an “urgent necessity” for climate action. However, in the same document, it raised concerns regarding the transition costs, urging expanded markets for Brazilian SAF to minimize economic impacts. In August 2024, as reported by Forbes, ABAG's president acknowledged the urgency of a climate transition while stressingthe high costs of transitioning.Correspondingly, in a November 2023 public hearing, ABAG supported the idea that it is possible to both feed the world and decarbonize it.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the association's scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically.
This summary was last updated in Q3 2025.