A estrutura institucional climática no Brasil

Abstract

This article presents selected results from a study analyzing the institutional structure of Brazil’s National Policy on Climate Change (PNMC), established by Law No. 12,187/2009, using the theoretical framework of climate governance. The study addresses the following research question: How are the principles of climate governance expressed in the institutional structure of the PNMC, considering that it constitutes the main regulatory framework for Brazilian climate policy? Specifically, the study aims to describe how the key dimensions of climate governance—participation and cooperation—are embedded in the PNMC and how they contribute to the functioning of the institutional structure, particularly in the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of public policies on climate change in Brazil. The conceptualization of governance adopts a collaborative and polycentric management model that integrates multiple decision-making levels and diverse actors—public, private, and civil society—in interdependent processes of policy design and implementation. The research employs a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, combining document analysis, literature review, and institutional examination of PNMC bodies and instruments. The results indicate that the Brazilian legal framework establishing the climate institutional structure incorporates key principles of climate governance, such as citizen participation, common but differentiated responsibilities among actors, and multi-level and intersectoral cooperation. The distribution of competencies and the integration of the climate variable are comprehensive; thus, policy effectiveness depends on strengthening federative coordination mechanisms, incorporating actors into policy processes, expanding social participation in decision-making, and developing institutional capacity for intersectoral integration. In conclusion, the PNMC represents a significant effort to institutionalize climate governance in Brazil, although further improvements are needed to consolidate an integrated, participatory governance system aligned with international climate regime guidelines and local specificities.