**1. Introduction**

The creation of a project for voluntary certification associated with the consumption of electrical energy developed jointly by Sinerconsult Consultants and Comerc Energia, the largest power trading company in Brazil (Comerc manages a portfolio around 26,000 GWh/year), was motivated by the perception of the worsening emission conditions related to the Brazilian energy sector. Both organizations were among the first to realize in Brazil that Kyoto Protocol Policies would lose force, and therefore, the natural alternative would be to adopt voluntary measures, as the Paris Agreement would later prove during Conference of Parts (COP 21).

Few countries in the world have such a strong renewable energy generation matrix as Brazil. **Figure 1** shows that 73% of the installed capacity in Brazil comes from renewable sources [1]. In the past 5 years, however, power generation from thermal plants has been on the rise, despite the growing proportion of renewable energies. **Figure 2** indicates this growth [2].

This can be traced back to a conceptual issue regarding environmental protection. Since the mid-1990s, all new hydroelectrical power plants have been conceived as run-of-river.

**Figure 1.**

*Capacity power in Brazil in MW (July 2018) [1].*

**Figure 2.** *Production percentage from thermal power plants [2].*

Therefore, the operational capacity of the Brazilian hydroelectrical power plants, once fed by large rivers, no longer had pluriannual reservoirs. More and more, whenever hydrological conditions are adverse, the interconnected system needs to rely on thermal plants. Another point is that the growing insertion of wind farms, characterized by high intermittence, also leads to more frequent deployment of thermal plants. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) have grown significantly, albeit still relatively low compared to countries with high thermal generation profiles. Alarmingly for Brazil, though, the emission levels measured in 2014 are already higher than government projections for 2030 [3]. **Figure 3** shows the growth trend for emissions [4].

Paradoxically, one of the countries with the broadest natural resources has shown deteriorating performance in emission indicators correlated with climate change.

As mentioned above, the perception of the increasing importance of voluntary actions and growing emissions attributable to the electrical energy industry have been the two key driving forces that led to the actions that will be detailed in the following sections. Nevertheless, from a wider perspective, the key issue is climate change, a serious concern for most countries.

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1

of this chapter [5].

**Figure 3.**

**2. Voluntary markets: Do they work?**

*Emission factors for the interconnected Brazilian system [4].*

order to develop initiatives to reduce their GHG emissions.

initiative of one of the biggest energy trader in Brazil.

may or may not be limited to their corresponding industry.

*Voluntary Certification of Carbon Emission in Brazil - The Experience of an Electricity Trader*

Section 2 presents the analysis of voluntary markets and the need for clearly defined certification. Section 3 reviews the general context of the Paris Agreement and its pending issues regarding emission certification. Section 4 analyzes the general problem of calculating the greenhouse gas emissions in interconnected systems. Section 5 presents the factors that led Sinerconsult and Comerc to develop the certificates in the proposed form and the concepts utilized. Section 6 describes the calculation methodology. Section 7 reports the results achieved during the 9 years since the implementation of the certificate. Section 8 describes the evolution from certificate to energy efficiency actions, and Section 9 presents the final tentative

Several ideas related to this chapter was developed initially in an article "Clean Energy Certification in Brazil: A proposal," published in the Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environmental Systems, by two of the authors1

Over the years, many companies have received incentives or mandatory rules in

A voluntary market is one that comes from a no mandatory initiative, decided by a country or by a corporation in order to make a sensitive contribution to one "cause." In this chapter, the focus is centered on an initiative that contributes to reduce GHG emissions and to help in the fight against climate change made by volunteered

Even the USA, a country that has not to date adhered to formal agreements and remains adamant in resisting international cooperation, has hundreds of voluntary initiatives of their own to reduce emissions. Here, we list some of the strategies that have been used: (i) regional legislation, (ii) sectorial policies, (iii) initiatives by industry associations, unions, and nongovernmental organization (NGOs), and (iv) business initiatives. Each one of the initiatives has its own motivation, and they

The other two authors of original paper allowed the present authors to use the primary information.

ideas for the future and perspectives for voluntary certification in Brazil.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81185*

*Voluntary Certification of Carbon Emission in Brazil - The Experience of an Electricity Trader DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81185*

**Figure 3.**

*Green Energy Advances*

**Figure 1.**

*Capacity power in Brazil in MW (July 2018) [1].*

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change.

**Figure 2.**

the growth trend for emissions [4].

*Production percentage from thermal power plants [2].*

change, a serious concern for most countries.

Therefore, the operational capacity of the Brazilian hydroelectrical power plants, once fed by large rivers, no longer had pluriannual reservoirs. More and more, whenever hydrological conditions are adverse, the interconnected system needs to rely on thermal plants. Another point is that the growing insertion of wind farms, characterized by high intermittence, also leads to more frequent deployment of thermal plants. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) have grown significantly, albeit still relatively low compared to countries with high thermal generation profiles. Alarmingly for Brazil, though, the emission levels measured in 2014 are already higher than government projections for 2030 [3]. **Figure 3** shows

Paradoxically, one of the countries with the broadest natural resources has shown deteriorating performance in emission indicators correlated with climate

As mentioned above, the perception of the increasing importance of voluntary actions and growing emissions attributable to the electrical energy industry have been the two key driving forces that led to the actions that will be detailed in the following sections. Nevertheless, from a wider perspective, the key issue is climate

*Emission factors for the interconnected Brazilian system [4].*

Section 2 presents the analysis of voluntary markets and the need for clearly defined certification. Section 3 reviews the general context of the Paris Agreement and its pending issues regarding emission certification. Section 4 analyzes the general problem of calculating the greenhouse gas emissions in interconnected systems. Section 5 presents the factors that led Sinerconsult and Comerc to develop the certificates in the proposed form and the concepts utilized. Section 6 describes the calculation methodology. Section 7 reports the results achieved during the 9 years since the implementation of the certificate. Section 8 describes the evolution from certificate to energy efficiency actions, and Section 9 presents the final tentative ideas for the future and perspectives for voluntary certification in Brazil.

Several ideas related to this chapter was developed initially in an article "Clean Energy Certification in Brazil: A proposal," published in the Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environmental Systems, by two of the authors1 of this chapter [5].
