The projects selected by Action Fund Brazil, a collaboration between [organization name], were announced this Friday, October 23rd. Google.org and ICLEI South America, which will implement innovative initiatives with the potential for local impact in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Curitiba (PR) and Porto Alegre (RS).

In each capital city, two non-profit organizations were selected: Ambiens Cooperative Society e SENAI-PR, in Curitiba, and Brazil Center on Climate (CBC) and Center for Urban Intelligence (CIUPOA), in Porto Alegre. The Action Fund was created from a donation from Google.org, and the projects were selected by a Selection Committee of ICLEI South America, in conjunction with the municipal administrations.

The four organizations will each receive up to R$ 660,000 to build projects using public data, such as that generated by Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE), a Google platform that gathers information on GHG emissions from buildings and transportation, air quality, and solar potential of rooftops.

For Rodrigo Perpétuo, executive secretary of ICLEI South America, the Action Fund Brazil enhances the dimension of transparency. “By working with public information and helping to educate civil society on the use of this data, we also stimulate social dialogue and strengthen Brazilian democracy with innovation and creativity,” Perpétuo emphasizes. “We thus have an opportunity to think and act in favor of more sustainable and better cities to live in.”

Selected projects – Curitiba

Ambiens Sociedade Cooperativa presented a project for the installation of photovoltaic solar panels in homes in the Caximba neighborhood, on the outskirts of Curitiba, and the development of an application that will collect the data and make the results available. The aim is to... To assess the feasibility of generating clean and sustainable energy and to support the formulation of public policies related to the topic.

The project to be developed by SENAI-PR The goal is to develop a publicly accessible dashboard that allows for the monitoring of indicators related to climate change, as well as more in-depth analyses of the phenomenon in the city of Curitiba. Regarding GHG emissions, a tool for generating scenarios up to 2050 will be made available, using data from both the EIE platform and the Curitiba City Hall on carbon sequestration.

Curitiba's Secretary of the Environment, Marilza Dias, believes that the climate issue is urgent and demands discussion and action from the entire society. “With the advancement of the process and the definition of the organizations that will have access to the fund, we are getting even closer to what we are seeking – a resilient city capable of facing climate change,” Dias points out. “We can only celebrate this additional support from ICLEI and Google.org in the development of new local climate actions,” she adds.

Selected projects – Porto Alegre

The project to be developed by the Brazil Climate Center proposes the use of data available in the EIE (Environmental Impact Assessment) to build a system of indicators that supports the energy transition of public transport in Porto Alegre. The idea is that these indicators will allow for an understanding of the economic costs that emissions generate for the municipality, comparing them with the costs of electrifying the municipal bus fleet. 

The CIUPOA project will carry out participatory interventions aimed at transforming two municipal schools and a Gaucho Traditions Center (CTG), located in Morro da Cruz, into circular economy and zero-emission hubs. The intention is to demonstrate and put into practice the transformative potential of using renewable energies in vulnerable territories, combining cutting-edge technology and educational socio-environmental work. 

Rovana Bortolini, Coordinator of Sustainability Policies for the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, states that she is very pleased with this partnership. "The selected initiatives combine technology and social responsibility to create new possible scenarios, in addition to helping the administration build more sustainable solutions with a high impact on the daily lives of the population and the future of the city," she emphasizes.

“This is a unique opportunity for Porto Alegre to further advance the integration between the climate agenda and urban planning, issues that are so sensitive and important for proposing a green economy,” says Germano Bremm, the city's Secretary for the Environment and Sustainability.

Raising awareness of citizenship

In Perpétuo's view, Action Fund Brazil contributes to raising awareness among civil society actors and citizens about one of the greatest global challenges: the climate emergency. “The project is committed to knowledge generation and training. I hope we can take advantage of this moment to share knowledge and enrich this collective process of improvement and understanding of local municipal policies and, especially, how to contribute to them from civil society, considering climate criteria.”

“Data, innovation, and collaboration are essential inputs for effective climate action. We were thrilled to see civil society respond so creatively to the Action Fund, and we look forward to seeing the selected projects create positive climate impacts in Curitiba and Porto Alegre,” said Hector Mujica, Google.org leader for Latin America.

About Action Fund Brazil

In May of this year, Porto Alegre and Curitiba were the two Brazilian capitals selected to participate in the Action Fund Brazil project, a collaboration between ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and Google.org.

The initiative aims to support non-profit organizations in implementing local, data-driven projects to mitigate climate change, helping decision-makers to establish targets related to climate planning. The Action Fund, of approximately US$$4 million, will be implemented through ICLEI's regional offices in Europe, Brazil, and Mexico and the Caribbean.

“"The idea is to consolidate this global movement and have it replicated in other Brazilian and South American cities," concludes Perpétuo.