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A new public, open-source digital platform developed by scientists at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil and Princeton University in the United States promises to facilitate the formulation of climate policies in Brazil.
Named "NetZero Brazil 2050," the system cross-references georeferenced data on energy demand, land use and macroeconomics to simulate carbon-neutrality scenarios. In practice, the tool calculates in real time the lowest-cost decarbonization pathways for the country through the middle of this century.
Presented on Oct. 28 by professor Carla Kazue Nakao Cavaliero of the School of Mechanical Engineering (FEM-UNICAMP) during FAPESP Week Netherlands, the tool allows public officials, academics and civil society organizations to cross-reference data from 39 sectoral parameters to design transparent, evidence-based energy transition strategies.
Developed through the São Paulo Center for Energy Transition Studies (CPTEn) and the São Paulo Center for Innovation in Public Lighting (CePIL), the initiative aims to democratize complex prospective simulation models—that is, it makes the use of advanced forecasting tools accessible to a wider audience, facilitating future planning.
"What some groups are doing today by selling private consulting services, we're making fully accessible within the open science policy," Cavaliero told Agência FAPESP. "The goal is for decision-makers, civil society organizations, think tanks and graduate students throughout Brazil to use those data to propose interdisciplinary and transparent public policies."
According to the researcher, what sets NetZero Brazil 2050 apart is the integration of seven simulation tools that link energy supply and demand to changes in land use and macroeconomic impacts.
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