Perspective Chapter: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back – A Multilevel and Multi-Actor Analysis of the Importance of the Climate Emergency for Social Change in Brazil

This article analyzes Brazilian climate change policies from a multilevel and multi-actor perspective, seeking to understand the roles of the different actors in this process, both at the national and local levels. Since human activities are largely responsible for exacerbating global environmental change, especially climate change, understanding the social and political dimensions of these changes is essential in order to undertake effective strategies against the resulting impacts, emphasizing the issues of adaptation and mitigation. In this chapter, we map the emergence of specific municipal policies, institutional mechanisms, and their proposed mitigation and adaptation strategies. We found that the inclusion of different interested parties from society at different levels has contributed significantly to the resilience of advancing the climate change agenda in Brazil, as there have been major setbacks in the last decade due to the increasingly politically polarized environment. We propose public policies for urban development in favor of climate adaptation and mitigation and a call for inclusive and open policies that engage the population. We also recommend strengthening land use and occupation in Brazil, effectively coordinated with national and international climate governance.