CARBON CREDITS: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR BRAZILIAN INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

This research aims to understand, in a qualitative way, how and why some institutions are investing in or supporting projects related to Carbon Credits, in the scope of the Clean Development Mechanism, an instrument proposed by the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. In this sense, we hope to contribute for the understanding of a very important subject related to environment protection and sustainable development of countries. To do so, a research through the study of multiple cases is carried out and eight institutions are analyzed - two financial organizations, a research institute, two consulting firms, a non governmental organization and two private companies. All these institutions develop or support projects related to Clean Development Mechanism. Although many institutions are considering Carbon Credits as a side business, the way of dealing with this subject must be different. Acting in this market may be strategic in a long term, since environment protection is being strongly considered in the commercial transactions between countries and it must be considered as an important tool to get a higher level of internal and external competitiveness.