Dec. 15 – Petrobras and Shell Brazil launched Carbon Countdown, the largest project ever undertaken to measure, in a standardized way and on a national scale, above- and below-ground carbon stocks in all terrestrial biomes of the country. The companies’ mutual interest in the decarbonization process is complemented by the scientific expertise of Esalq/USP, the project’s executor, and universities and research centers participating in the project across all regions of Brazil.
The project will have an investment of over R$ 100 million, originating from the Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) clause stipulated in oil and gas exploration and production contracts, a resource whose application is regulated and monitored by the ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels). The Carbon Countdown establishes an unprecedented scientific baseline, built upon methodologies recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN scientific body. All data will be open and publicly available, allowing for diverse applications such as conservation, climate modeling, and territorial planning.
It will be five years of much integrated work and knowledge production. “The major deliverables of the Carbon Countdown are the generation of a public geospatial database, based on significant collections of environmental samples, the implementation of research infrastructure, and the reliable adaptation of international methodologies to the reality of our biomes. This work becomes even more robust with the participation of several universities that add expertise and local knowledge to this initiative,” says Lílian Melo, Executive Manager of the Petrobras Research, Development and Innovation Center – CENPES.
“The Carbon Countdown project gives us the tools to create a solid and reliable database on natural carbon stocks. This information is essential to strengthen carbon credit projects, restoration initiatives, and land use actions, as well as consolidate the role of Brazilian science in this emerging market,” says Olivier Wambersie, General Manager of Technology at Shell Brazil.
The survey will cover 6,500 demarcated areas, with more than 250,000 soil samples and an even greater number of vegetation samples and another 400,000 samples of complementary attributes, characterizing the largest inventory of its kind ever carried out. The project implements a national research network, with regional centers in the six Brazilian biomes – Amazon, Cerrado, Caatinga, Atlantic Forest, Pantanal, and Pampa. Each center involves researchers, field teams, and local laboratory infrastructure, ensuring unified methodologies, technical protocols for Safety, Environment and Health; ethical standards and data consistency.
By producing a realistic and scientifically validated database, Carbon Countdown provides security for investors and policymakers, supports the transition to a low-carbon economy, and expands Brazil’s leading role in the global carbon credit market through Nature-Based Solutions such as agroforestry, conservation, and reforestation projects.
Scientific Capacity Building
Carbon Countdown also invests in team training, strengthening laboratories distributed throughout the country, and creating an integrated database for storing, analyzing, and sharing results, with scientific leadership from Esalq/USP – a center of excellence in agricultural, environmental, biological, and social sciences. The initiative directly contributes to the training of professionals and the advancement of environmental research in Brazil.
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