[INTRODUCTION]
The international scientific community has identified greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—especially concentrated in urban areas—as the main driver of global warming. In 2019 alone, Brazil released approximately 2.2 billion tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere, making it the fifth-largest GHG emitter in the world. In addition to being major emitters, cities are also among the most vulnerable territories.

This research aims to systematize and understand the characteristics of Brazil’s subnational response to climate change, based on initiatives and public policies developed across the country’s 15 metropolitan regions. The report seeks to contribute to the identification of key features of metropolitan-scale initiatives and policies to combat climate change in the Brazilian context, from the perspective of subnational public management.

It also aims to support the development of a framework for investigation and analysis, grounded in literature review, international case studies, and preliminary interviews with experts on the topic. The study is structured into four sections: theoretical review, methodology, discussion of results, and conclusions.

[METHODOLOGY]
The study adopts a qualitative methodology, including literature review, document analysis of public policies, legislation, and other actions in the selected municipalities, as well as preliminary semi-structured interviews. Based on this data collection, an analytical framework was developed for the 15 metropolitan areas studied, enabling the identification of the main findings.

[RESULTS]
The data collected and the analytical framework revealed three main findings:
(i) the role of cities in the climate emergency context;
(ii) the unequal responses of Brazilian metropolises to climate change;
(iii) the vulnerabilities of municipalities classified as “beginners” in addressing the impacts of extreme climate events.

[CONCLUSION]
The study concludes that subnational responses are essential in the fight against climate change. However, Brazilian municipalities exhibit disparate actions, legislation, and climate commitments, as well as varying institutional capacities. The heterogeneity in prioritizing the climate agenda at the local level emerges as an urgent issue to be addressed in order to mitigate the environmental and societal impacts of climate change.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance that Brazil’s major metropolitan areas be treated as priority territories in the national climate response.

Researchers: Laura Chein Portela and Luis Paulo Bresciani
São Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP)

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