Visualising black carbon in Brazil – new Climate Visuals photos – Climate Outreach

Report on Black Carbon Emissions in Brazil and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Collaborative Initiative to Visualize Climate Impacts

A new collection of photographs has been released through a partnership between Climate Visuals and the Clean Air Fund. This initiative aims to document the causes and impacts of black carbon in Brazil, providing a visual resource for non-profit, educational, and editorial use. The project directly supports global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by illustrating the interconnectedness of climate, health, and environmental stability.

Black Carbon: A Threat to Climate Action and Sustainable Development

Black carbon is classified as a super pollutant, contributing to approximately half of current climatic warming. Its prevalence in Brazil presents a significant challenge to achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action). The photographic collection, captured by Victor Moriyama, documents the primary sources of these emissions, which include:

• Intentional fires in the Amazon to clear land for cattle grazing, undermining SDG 15 (Life on Land).
• Community-level wildfire management and uncontrolled burns.
• Open waste burning, which impacts SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• Widespread deforestation and logging activities.
• Incomplete combustion from industrial fuel burning, highlighting a need for progress on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).

Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts in the Context of SDGs

The consequences of black carbon emissions extend across multiple dimensions of sustainable development, creating a negative feedback loop where rising temperatures increase wildfire risk and subsequent emissions.

Impact on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Airborne black carbon particles have devastating effects on human health. The toxic air quality directly contravenes the objectives of SDG 3, leading to severe health crises within communities. Documented health impacts include:

• Respiratory diseases such as asthma.
• Cardiovascular events, including strokes and heart attacks.
• Increased risk of cancer and dementia.
• Adverse reproductive health outcomes, such as low birth weight, stillbirths, and miscarriages.

Impact on SDG 15: Life on Land

Black carbon smothers vital ecosystems, disrupting local weather patterns and threatening biodiversity. The sources of these emissions, particularly deforestation and intentional fires for agriculture, represent a direct assault on the principles of SDG 15 by destroying natural habitats and degrading land.

Strategic Implications and a Pathway Forward

Addressing black carbon and other super pollutants offers a strategic opportunity to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda. Action in this area provides an “emergency brake” for the climate crisis and delivers a unique “triple win” that aligns with core SDG principles.

1. Advancing Climate Action (SDG 13): Reducing super pollutants has the potential to cut near-term temperature increases at a rate four times faster than action on carbon dioxide alone.
2. Improving Global Health (SDG 3): Mitigating these emissions would radically improve public health outcomes worldwide by reducing air pollution.
3. Enhancing Economic Prosperity: Cleaner air and a more stable climate contribute trillions to the global economy through reduced healthcare costs and improved environmental conditions, supporting SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Project Scope and Global Partnerships

This photographic collection is the first phase of a global project to visualize the issue of black carbon. By making these images freely available, the initiative promotes SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Future phases will document the issue in Kenya, Nepal, and Nigeria, with images expected in early 2026, reinforcing the global scale of this challenge.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article on black carbon in Brazil connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by discussing the environmental, health, and social impacts of this pollutant. The primary SDGs addressed are:

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article explicitly details the severe health consequences of breathing toxic air containing black carbon.
   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The issue of air pollution from sources like waste burning and industrial fuel burning directly relates to the environmental quality of human settlements.
   • SDG 13: Climate Action: Black carbon is identified as a “super pollutant” that significantly contributes to “climatic warming,” making climate action a central theme.
   • SDG 15: Life on Land: The article links black carbon emissions to “devastating fires in the Amazon,” “deforestation and logging,” and clearing land for “cattle grazing,” all of which degrade terrestrial ecosystems.
   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The entire initiative described in the article is a collaboration between “Climate Visuals and Clean Air Fund” to raise awareness, demonstrating a partnership to achieve common goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the issues discussed, the following specific SDG targets are relevant:

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
     
     Explanation: The article directly supports this target by stating that black carbon “enters bloodstreams and leads to diseases like asthma, strokes, heart attacks, cancer and dementia, as well as low birth weight, stillbirths and miscarriages.”
   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
     
     Explanation: The article highlights sources of black carbon such as “waste burning” and “industrial fuel burning,” which are key concerns for urban and community air quality mentioned in this target.
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
     
     Explanation: The article frames black carbon as a critical climate issue, noting it is a “super pollutant” that contributes to “half of today’s climatic warming.” It suggests that “Action on black carbon… can be an ‘emergency brake’ to the climate emergency,” implying the need for policy-level climate action.
   • Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.
     
     Explanation: The article identifies major sources of black carbon as “deforestation and logging” and “devastating fires in the Amazon, some intentionally set to clear space for cattle grazing,” which are direct challenges to this target.
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
     
     Explanation: The project itself is a partnership between “Climate Visuals and Clean Air Fund” to release a “new collection of photographs highlighting the causes and impacts of black carbon in Brazil, free for non-profit, educational and editorial use.” This is a clear example of a civil society partnership for knowledge sharing and awareness.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   The article implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress, although it does not provide specific quantitative data:

   • For Target 3.9: The article implies indicators related to public health. Progress could be measured by tracking the incidence and mortality rates of the diseases mentioned: “asthma, strokes, heart attacks, cancer and dementia,” and adverse birth outcomes like “low birth weight, stillbirths and miscarriages” in populations exposed to high levels of black carbon.
   • For Target 11.6: An implied indicator is the concentration of pollutants in the air. The article’s focus on “black carbon” and “toxic air” points to the need to measure levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), of which black carbon is a major component.
   • For Target 13.2: The article mentions that black carbon and other super pollutants “contribute to half of today’s climatic warming.” An indicator for progress would be the reduction in emissions of black carbon and a corresponding decrease in its contribution to near-term temperature rise.
   • For Target 15.2: The article points to indicators related to forest management. Progress could be measured by monitoring the rates of “deforestation and logging” and tracking the frequency and scale of “fires in the Amazon.”
   • For Target 17.17: A direct indicator mentioned is the output of the partnership. The article states that the collaboration has produced a “new collection includes over 60 photographs which are available to download now,” which is a tangible outcome for measuring the partnership’s effectiveness in raising awareness.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators (Mentioned or Implied in the Article)
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	Target 3.9: Substantially reduce deaths and illnesses from air pollution.	(Implied) Incidence and mortality rates from diseases linked to toxic air, such as asthma, strokes, heart attacks, cancer, and adverse birth outcomes.
   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, paying special attention to air quality.	(Implied) Concentration of black carbon and other fine particulate matter in the air resulting from waste and industrial burning.
   SDG 13: Climate Action	Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies.	(Implied) Level of black carbon emissions and its contribution to climatic warming and near-term temperature rise.
   SDG 15: Life on Land	Target 15.2: Promote sustainable management of forests and halt deforestation.	(Implied) Rates of deforestation, logging, and the area of land affected by fires set for agricultural clearing.
   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective partnerships.	(Mentioned) The creation and dissemination of a collection of over 60 photographs by the Climate Visuals and Clean Air Fund partnership to raise awareness.

Source: climateoutreach.org