Climate Policy Configurations in Rio de Janeiro

current conflicts, trends, and challenges

Abstract

https://doi.org/10.1590/2179-8966/2026/98117i

The city of Rio de Janeiro has been the stage for important international events on sustainable development and climate change since the Eco-92. As a pioneer in establishing a climate action plan, it is the first city in Latin America to adopt a climate budget. Although the expectations for the implementation of the city's mitigation policies are high, some obstacles remain latent, such as the case of the Ternium steel industry, which is undersized in the decarbonization municipal targets. Based on participant observation at public events of the "Rio Capital of Climate Bullshit" campaign (2024/2025) and on a bibliographic and documentary research on the subject, this work proposes to compare the climate action of three groups of collective actors with the greatest influence on Rio de Janeiro's climate policy: the steel industry, the public authorities and the organized civil society. This study seeks to present the current challenges of climate policy in the municipality through the conflicts and tendencies between corporate, political-institutional, and popular actions.