At last month’s world climate conference in Copenhagen, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won plaudits for his country’s pledge to hold its greenhouse-gas emissions 36.1% to 38.9% below their projected 2020 levels—one of few such commitments by a large developing nation. Back home, though, green advocates say the Brazilian climate-policy legislation that set the targets is vague to the point of raising doubts about the Lula administration’s pledge. They also take issue with the voluntary nature of the targets themselves. “How do you enact a law in which compliance is voluntary?” asks João Talocchi, climate change campaign coordinator of Greenpeace in Brazil. “The climate law looks more like a New Year’s resolution.” The legislation, approved by Congress on Dec. 9... [Log in to read more]