Brazil’s trucking sector has opportunities to further improve energy efficiency and cut emissions, according to new joint study

Brazil’s freight sector has numerous opportunities to use energy more efficiently, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality by taking steps such as replacing older trucks, improving fuel economy and investing in rail and roads, according to a joint study by the IEA and Brazil’s Energy Research Office EPE.

This year’s Atlas of Energy Efficiency includes a special focus on the road freight sector, providing an overview of how the sector has developed over the past two decades, how policies have influenced energy consumption and emissions, and where opportunities lie for further progress.

Brazil has some of the largest trucks in the world, with heavy trucks playing a critical role in hauling agricultural commodities and accounting for 60% of total freight energy use in the country. Over the past two decades, the efficiency of Brazil’s trucks has improved thanks to policies to spur innovation in the auto industry, modernise roads, restrict emissions and advance alternative fuels.

At the same time, Brazil can further benefit by building on existing policies and drawing on international experience. For example, 6% of trucks are over 30 years old, and replacing these would significantly reduce consumption and emissions. The chapter provides an overview of how scrappage schemes, fuel economy standards and investments across road, rail and water freight have advanced efficiency in selected countries.

For the third consecutive year, the IEA has contributed to the Atlas of Energy Efficiency, Brazil’s annual reference point for energy efficiency policies that is published by the EPE (short for Empresa de Pesquisa Energética), which supports the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The report underscores the ongoing cooperation between the IEA and EPE. Brazil is a key partner in the IEA’s Energy Efficiency in Emerging Economies (E4) programme, which seeks to build capacity within, and support for, energy efficiency improvements in some of the world’s largest energy-consuming countries.

A more in-depth analysis of the Brazilian freight sector is available in Road Freight Transport: International Benchmarking.