Brazil Sets 2026 Target for National Carbon Credit Registry

Brazil is preparing to roll out a national carbon registry within the next 15 months, a step designed to anchor its future emissions trading system (ETS), the Sistema Brasileiro do Comércio de Emissões (SBCE). The platform will function as the backbone for registering carbon projects and is expected to play a central role in connecting Brazil with international carbon markets.

Landscape photo of São Paulo’s financial center and the Estaiada Bridge. AI generated picture.

This initiative is part of the government’s wider ambition to establish the country as a key player in global carbon trading. According to Brazil’s carbon law, the SBCE must be fully operational by 2030, and officials see the registry as a pivotal milestone toward that deadline.

‘There is a global race between countries to become carbon credits trading hubs, and we believe Brazil should be leading this race… so hopefully we will operationalise the registry in the next 15 months’, said Cristina Reis, an official at the Ministry of Finance, speaking at the IETA Latin America Climate Summit in São Paulo.

Reis explained that the government is still reviewing its options: ‘We are debating different options, such as having a system built by the government or searching for infrastructure providers for it.’

Beyond supporting Brazil’s domestic ETS, the registry will also underpin the country’s participation in global carbon trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This framework will allow Brazil to trade internationally while maintaining oversight of which project methodologies qualify under the SBCE.

Talks have already taken place between government representatives and B3, São Paulo’s main stock exchange, which operates a private carbon registry. B3 is also working with the Brazilian branch of Singapore-based AirCarbon Exchange (ACX) to align infrastructures and enable international credit transactions.

With vast natural resources and one of the world’s largest carbon sequestration potentials, Brazil is well-positioned to supply high-quality carbon credits to both compliance and voluntary markets. Building a transparent national registry is seen as an essential step for unlocking this opportunity and reinforcing Brazil’s role in the fast-growing carbon economy.