

- ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
- SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Brazil
GIZ local staff
National employees: 248
International employees: 47
Integrated experts: 2
(as at: 31.12.2022)
Germany and Brazil can look back on over 50 years of cooperation in the field of sustainable development.
Brazil is the world’s ninth-largest economy, and with 20 per cent of the planet’s animal and plant species, it is the most species-rich country in the world. Its tropical rainforests are not only the largest storehouse of greenhouse gases on the globe, but also a treasure trove of biodiversity. The country is committed to actions to mitigate climate change and protect biodiversity. Germany and Brazil made a joint declaration in 2015 to pursue the complete decarbonisation of the global economy during the course of the 21st century.
A pioneer of carbon-neutral energy production in Latin America, Brazil has in the past favoured large-scale hydropower plants, but in many cases the resulting flooding of large areas of land has had adverse environmental and social side effects. Biomass, solar power and wind power are environmentally friendly alternatives. Their vast potential has barely been touched.
The priority areas for GIZ’s activities in Brazil are renewables, energy efficiency and the protection and sustainable use of tropical forests. In addition, increasing importance is being attached to issues such as sustainable urban development and financing opportunities for climate-friendly investment.
GIZ’s main commissioning parties in Brazil are the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). Other commissioning parties include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the European Commission.
GIZ and its commissioning parties favour a variety of forms of cooperation. One key focus is on partnerships with the private sector. Systematic use is also made of German-Brazilian research partnerships linking the research community and universities with actors from the spheres of politics, business and civil society. In addition, GIZ and its Brazilian partners are exploring the options offered by triangular cooperation to implement projects in other countries in Latin America and Africa.
There are also a number of GIZ-managed global and regional programmes in Brazil. A major regional programme cofinanced by BMZ and the Government of the Netherlands is providing advisory services to the Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization and is based in Brazil. Alongside this work, GIZ’s portfolio includes global programmes on topics such as energy partnerships and anti-corruption measures.