Sector
Green Protocol: 62.5 million ton reduction in CO2 emissions in São Paulo state
11/26/2009
 |
Marcos Jank updates results of the Green Protocol
(Photo:Jamile Abdallah) |
|
The advancing reduction in sugarcane straw burning and increased bioelectricity cogeneration in sugar and ethanol mills, combined with the recovery of riparian forests, will lead to a 62.5 million ton reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the state of São Paulo by 2017. The figure was announced on Wednesday (Nov.26) at an event organized by the São Paulo state Environment and Agriculture Secretariats and the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), to present accomplishments of the Agro-environmental Protocol for the Sugar and Ethanol Sector, often described as the Green Protocol.
Originally signed by the sugarcane industry and the São Paulo state government in 2007, the Green Protocol establishes a number of commitments and technical policies, such as an early phaseout of sugarcane pre-harvest field burning, to 2014 for mechanizable areas and 2017 for steeper slopes, not yet mechanizable with existing technology. According to UNICA, the elimination of straw burning alone will cut 8.5 million tons in CO2 emissions over the ten-year period that ends with the Protocol´s December 2017 deadline.
UNICA president Marcos Jank observed that calculations presented in the Protocol are extremely important: "We are transforming smoke and soot into green energy. The end of straw burning use will immensely contribute with emission reduction indexes that Brazil will present at COP-15, in Denmark. In it´s two-year existence, the Protocol has produced benefits for the state of São Paulo and Brazilian society in general," he added.
According to São Paulo state Environment Secretary Xico Graziano, the Protocol is an important accomplishment achieved by the sector because it is "environmental discourse with concrete results.” For his part, Agriculture Secretary João Sampaio highlighted the fact that the Protocol “represents a new model for government and private sector collaboration. Because of this successful partnership with UNICA, in the future we might work together once again on a tax pact for the sector,” he concluded.
|
L-R: UNICA Technical Director, Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, Agriculture Secretary João Sampaio, UNICA President, Marcos Jank and Ricardo Viegas, the São Paulo Environment Secretariat´s Green Ethanol Project Manager (Photo:Jamile Abdallah) |
Enrollment and next steps
In his presentantion, Jank also detailed how 85% of producers in São Paulo state have already committed to meet agro-environmental goals established by the Protocol. Mechanized areas in the state jumped from 34.1% in 2007 to 53.8% during the 09-10 harvest. This means that over half of the sugarcane harvest in the state is now mechanized and happens without the use of straw burning techniques.
Jank concluded with upcoming priorities within the Protocol. These include:
- Promoting research on the use of sugarcane straw to generate energy;
- Examining incentives for a smoother transition to mechanized harvesting, especially for small and medium-sized cane suppliers with planted areas of up to 150 hectares;
- Increasing industry involvement with worker requalification programs;
- Developing compensation programs for environmental services like water preservation and greenhouse gas mitigation, within the state´s Climate Change Program.
For Marcos Jank’s presentation (Portuguese only), click here.
For the original Protocol document (Portuguese only), click here.
|
|
