In 2024, a reduction in deforestation caused the country to record the 2nd biggest climate change in the historical series, according to the Climate Observatory
Brazil emitted 2.145 billion tons of GtCO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) throughout 2024, registering a 16.7% drop in gross greenhouse gas emissions, compared to the previous year, when 2.576 GtCO2e were emitted. The reduction is 22%, when considering net emissions, which discount carbon capture by secondary forests and protected areas.
The data was released on Monday (November 3, 2025) by the Climate Observatory network, in the 13th edition of SEEG (Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimation System), which provides an overview of 2024 based on the inventory of 5 major sectors: land use change, agriculture, energy, industrial processes and waste.
The drop recorded last year is the largest in the last 16 years and the 2nd most significant in the historical series that began in 1990, when data revealed a 17.2% decrease in the climate population.
In the opinion of Márcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, the positive result positions Brazilian leadership well at COP30 (30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change), which begins on November 10th.
“We will hardly have within the G20 [países mais ricos] or within the 10 largest emitters, countries arriving at COP30 with a number of total reductions in their emissions, just like the number we are presenting now”, says Astrini.
When considering gross emissions by sector, of the total of 2.145 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, land use change accounted for 42%, agriculture was responsible for 29%, the energy sector emitted 20%, while waste and industrial processes were responsible for 5% and 4% respectively.
In Brazil, the land use change sector is the largest responsible for emissions since the beginning of the historical series. In 2024, the sector was responsible for the emission of 906 million tons of CO2e, with 98% of this total originating from deforestation.
According to researcher Bárbara Zimbres, from Ipam (Amazon Environmental Research Institute), since 2022, the sector has observed a drop in emissions due to increased control of deforestation: “Last year we had the biggest drop in gross emissions of 32%”.
The Amazon recorded a significant drop with a 41% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the Cerrado also reduced climate pollution by 20%, but the Pantanal was the biome with the most significant drop in proportion to its territory, with a 66% drop. Only Pampa increased emissions last year, with growth of 6%.
In 2024, the agricultural sector also recorded a 0.7% drop in greenhouse gas emissions, while other sectors increased the volume of climate pollution, recording increases of 0.8% in energy, 2.8% in industrial processes and 3.6% in waste.
In terms of state, Rondônia, Pará and Mato Grosso were the champions in reducing gross emissions, with reductions of 65%, 44% and 44% respectively. Minas Gerais, Piauí, Roraima, Rio Grande do Sul and Sergipe recorded an increase in emissions in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Net emissions
Brazil’s total net emissions, in 2024, were 1.49 GtCO2e, when considering removals by protected areas and secondary forests. This leads the land use sector to record an even greater drop of 64% in total emissions, with a reduction from 685 million to 249 million tons of CO2 equivalent from 2023 to 2024.
The drop repositions the sector in 2nd place for net emissions in the country, accounting for 17% of the total in 2024. Agriculture is now responsible for 42% of net pollution in Brazil.
Fires
In SEEG, fires are not associated with deforestation, as they do not characterize a change in land use. They are included in a separate study, not included in the inventory. “Brazil burned all over, in almost all biomes there were significant increases in the area burned in 2024. This was reflected in a two-and-a-half-fold increase in net emissions from fire in Brazil across biomes”says Bárbara Zimbres.
According to the researcher, if this process were included in the emissions inventory, there would be 20% to 30% in net emissions over the last 10 years. “In 2024 it reached almost 100% of net emissions, so if [as queimadas] were accounted for, we would see net emissions in the land use sector double”.
With information from .
