Researchers dedicated to investigating the causes and effects of human action on the climate – and also studying solutions to its consequences – are gathered at the Workshop of the Climate Change Program, an initiative of the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) held at the Institute of Geosciences (IG) at Unicamp. The hybrid event began on August 27 (Tuesday), in a meeting attended by Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, rector of the University, Célio Haddad – representing the scientific director of FAPESP – and Luiz Aragão, from the Climate Change Committee.
Discussing the priorities of global research on climate change and the energy transition is one of the focuses of the Workshop, which will be attended by representatives of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), Brazilian universities, entities from the state government of São Paulo and the federal government, and finally researchers from FAPESP. The aim of the Workshop is to stimulate dialogue and the exchange of knowledge among participants in the Climate Change Program, to foster the development of partnerships and new ideas. The challenge is urgent, after all, as Aragão points out, the temperature increase over the continent is around 1,9º C centigrade, surpassing the 1,5º C threshold by 2024.
The meeting of scientists with different backgrounds, proposed by the conference, aims to advance issues related to climate change. For Meirelles, this is an idea that is in line with Unicamp's tradition, that is, to promote multidisciplinary scientific work. “We have a set of stable centers and nuclei that already function as multidisciplinary units. This is the case of the Interdisciplinary Center for Energy Planning [Nipe] and the Center for Energy and Oil Studies [Cepetro], which today have a large part of their investment focused on the energy transition. The Center for Environmental Studies and Research [Nepam] was one of the first of its kind in the country, before ECO 92. Also a pioneer in linking the human sciences to the treatment of environmental issues, it has one of the most prominent programs in the area”, pointed out the rector.
The simultaneous occurrence of several fires in much of São Paulo last week, Haddad recalls, illustrates the scope of the effects resulting from climate events caused by human action. “Above-average temperatures and the above-average drought itself lead to ignitions, fires, as well as public health and economic problems that, in a way, cause further damage to people’s physical and mental health. They affect natural ecosystems and many species that, due to issues related to these very human-induced climate changes, are already threatened with extinction today.”
According to Aragão, interest in the event exceeded the organizers’ expectations. “We were expecting 150 people to attend the event, but we have over 600 people registered,” he says. This is proof, according to the representative of the FAPESP Climate Change Committee, of the urgency and relevance of discussing the topic. “We know that the climate crisis is getting worse every day, and it is necessary to provide information, generate cutting-edge knowledge and, above all, solutions so that the country can move forward with mitigation, adaptation and sustainable economic development actions. I think this diagnosis is truly worrying, but we have opportunities for innovation in several areas. In this sense, science and technology have a fundamental role, especially that promoted by FAPESP, which is a national leader in the area.”
According to the researcher, last week, the Climate Observatory suggested that Brazil should reduce 92% of its emissions to meet the target of 1,5°C of temperature increase by the end of the century – which gives an idea of the problem. This year alone, around 110 hotspots have been recorded in Brazil. “This is a very complex challenge. We know that 70% of emissions come from the forestry and agriculture sectors, so we have to attack this with great energy so that we can reduce them,” he says. Due to the extreme events that have been ravaging the country, the specialist advocated the provision of robust and long-term investments and proposed that an urgent funding line be considered. “With a rapid assessment of the proposals, so that we can provide accurate diagnoses of their impacts.”
Scientific research focused on energy transition, says the dean of Unicamp, is also a way to transform the country into a protagonist of this inevitable global movement. “It is difficult not to see Brazil as one of the countries best positioned for the transition to an economy based on renewable resources. Thus, we have the opportunity to expand not only the industry linked to the transition in general, to improving climate issues and mitigating their effects, but also to make agriculture more sustainable. And we can have an agenda that is more inclusive, from a social point of view, because economic growth is a good way, if politically conducted correctly, to distribute income.”