Carbon emission mitigation measures in Brazil—case study of biomass policy for a ferroalloy plant in Ceará State

The present work aims at discussing the possibilities of atmospheric carbon emissions mitigation in the scope of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the forest sector using a case study in the Northeast of Brazil. Taking Ceará State as an example and based on the Ceará State Energy Balances for 1980, 1984 and 1987, the Carbon (C-CO2) Emission Balances were drawn up covering these same years. An exercise was carried out in order to draw up carbon emissions mitigation proposals through both Environmental Education and reforestation policies replacing forest clearing. The first, environmental education and forest management practices, involves more efficient practices in the woody sector. The second, reforestation policies, instead of felling native forests for fuel-wood burned to produce charcoal, is discussed from the economic point of view. An estimate was drawn up of the carbon abatement costs, using a case study for charcoal production based on reforestation instead of deforestation, for a ferroalloy plant in Ceará State.