Brazil’s Emissions Drop, but Livestock Methane Emerges as the Hardest Problem

Overview

• New SEEG data show a 16.7% fall in gross greenhouse-gas emissions, the biggest drop since 2009, largely from reduced deforestation as energy emissions rose 17% and agriculture’s share increased to 29%.
• When combining direct cattle methane with land-use linked to herds, livestock accounts for roughly 51% of national emissions, underscoring where cuts must accelerate.
• Meatpackers are moving with measurable programs: Marfrig’s Verde+ expands ILPF and feed additives, Minerva’s Renove pays for certified gains, and JBS’s Green Offices provide technical support, with reported enteric-methane cuts of roughly 9%–30%.
• Financing and policy are being mobilized for scale, with only about 2% of global climate finance targeting methane, R$1.52 billion contracted by BNDES for biometane, and Decree 12.614/2025 setting an initial 0.25% biometane blend in 2026 that could climb toward 10%.
• Federal launches at COP30 include MMA’s Planaro to partner with municipalities on biogas/biometane from organic waste and MAPA’s Raiz to speed producer credit, while researchers report up to ~35% enteric-methane cuts from diet and pasture management as Brazil remains the fifth-largest methane emitter at 21.1 Mt in 2023.