Auditing Adaptation to Climate Change in Brazil

Marcelo Cardoso SoaresDepartment of Agriculture and Environmental AuditFederal Court of Accounts – Brazil (TCU)

Outline

• The Federal Court of Accounts;• International Audit on Climate Change;• Audits in Brazil;• Main findings• First follow up;• Lessons learned;• Opportunities for cooperation.

The Federal Court of Accounts (TCU)

• Supreme Audit Institution in Brazil;• Carries out regularity and performance audits

of federal government activities, including policies and programs;

• Can determine (regularity) or recommend (performance) measures to be adopted by audited entities;

International Audit on Climate Change

• Proposed by the Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA) in 2008 – 14 countries;

• Each SAI could audit government initiatives regarding mitigation and adaptation to climate change according to national needs;

• International report issued in November 2010

Audits in Brazil

• 1 audit on mitigation and 3 audits on adaptation;

• Adaptation themes indicated by experts: coastal zones, agriculture and livestock and water safety in semiarid areas;

Audits in Brazil

• Support from the British Embassy - overseas travel expenses, consultants, publications (£ 250.000);

• Coordination of a similar audit in Latin America in 2011 – 9 countries.

Main findings

Little concern for adaptation in public policies

• Emphasis on mitigation in the National Plan on Climate Change;

• No active efforts to identify potential risks arising from climate change;

Main findings

• Lack of downscaled climate models to predict impacts on regional level;

• Climate data not easily accessible and shaped into information for decision makers;

• Interesting initiative: development of seeds fit for a hotter and drier climate.

First follow-up (2012)

• Creation of the National Center for Disaster Monitoring and Alert;

• Better access to climate time series data by researchers, including digitalization of physical records;

• Consideration of climate change scenarios by the National Water Agency when planning and implementing public policies;

Lessons learned• Adaptation to CC was not in the government’s

agenda, it was “imported” from international environmental accords;

• Audits highlighted the importance of adaptation and encouraged more efforts to deal with it;

• Follow-up helped with the adoption of measures beyond one single term of government.

Opportunities for cooperation

Attendance at events (COP), consultants (best practices in adaptation):• Second follow-up (2015);• Future audits? – definition of a national plan

on adaptation is underway.

THANK YOU!

Marcelo Cardoso Soaresmarcelocs@tcu.gov.br