The Brazilian government presented the world with renewed commitments at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland -- Marina Silva, minister of the environment, addressed the climate crisis and protection of biodiversity; Fernando Haddad, Minister of Finance, placed environmental sustainability as a pillar of the reindustrialization effort. So far, however, there has been no talk about the plans for ethanol, warns Pedro Luiz Côrtes, full professor at the Institute of Energy and Environment (IEE) at USP, geologist and post-doctorate in Science and Environmental Technologies.

Côrtes considers that a clean matrix, with solar, wind and green hydrogen, also needs to include alcohol. "We already have the entire chain ready: production, distribution, marketing and much of the adapted fleet, prepared for the use of ethanol," recalls the researcher, in an interview with the Journal of USP. "Ethanol itself is neutral. The CO2 that he throws into the atmosphere, when it is burned, is recovered when planting the next crop", he explains. The chain also emits greenhouse gases in the transportation of ethanol, made by diesel-powered trucks, but is still cleaner than the fossil fuel transportation structure. Finally, there are sustainability issues related to the planting itself, which can be solved.

According to the analysis of Côrtes, the loss of priority of ethanol occurred in the government of Michel Temer (2016 to 2018). The researcher recalls that, in addition to having ready infrastructure, ethanol, unlike oil derivatives, is not shaken by the global geopolitical situation and factors such as the war in Ukraine.

Source: Um só Planeta