Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Collaborating with the Foundation for Support and Development of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (Uniselva Foundation), PAGE assessed the potential for the generation and use of biomass and solar energy sources in Mato Grosso with a study finalized in August 2019. This led to the Strategic Plan for the Development of Renewable Energy in Mato Grosso, which officially launched in September 2020. The Plan will serve as the basis for the State Government Renewable Energy Policy.

Building on work from 2019, two workshops were held on the State Government Integrated Family Farming System (e-SEIAF) electronic tool in January 2020. Set in Pontes e Lacerda and Cuiabá with 68 and 87 participants respectively, the workshops presented the e-SEIAF tool, developed under PAGE to support the implementation of the Family Agriculture State Policy and Plan. 

Additionally, the Mato Grosso Company of Information Technology (MTI) and the Mato Grosso Company of Research, Assistance and Rural Extension (Empaer) began developing an application to improve family farming properties. The app launched in September 2020, enables small producers to have a direct channel to Empaer technicians and request various services.

To build-out the sustainable tourism sector in Mato Grosso, PAGE has been assisting in the development of guidelines and their subsequent application. In 2019, a study was conducted, which included a preliminary diagnosis on sustainable tourism, a manual for standardisation and certification and an incentives framework for public policies. In turn, the findings are feeding the Mato Grosso State Government Tourism Policy (for finalization in 2021). 

An agreement with the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Enterprises-Mato Grosso (SEBRAE-MT) in 2019 is overseeing the dissemination and application of the sustainable tourism guidelines. This includes training for the public and private sector with a first workshop that took place in December 2020, and a second in January 2021. 

The Rural Environmental Registration (CAR), managed by the Government of the State of Mato Grosso, is a tool for farmers, aiming to make financial and technical programmes and services, more accessible. In support of this programme, PAGE assisted with a diagnostic — Socioeconomic, Productive and Environmental Factors of the Vale do Mangaval Rural Settlement in Cáceres-MT — which was presented on 24 June 2020. The diagnostic will help to advance the development of Environmental Regularization Policy for Rural Settlements with the State Secretariat of Environment (SEMA) and will contribute to the Environmental Policy of the State of Mato Grosso. 

After completing a cultural heritage and urban analysis in 2019, PAGE supported the development of a Sustainable Management Plan for the Historic Center of Cuiabá (the state capital of Mato Grosso). The Historic Centre has important historical and cultural significance, by extension, feeding into tourism and the economy. The Sustainable Management Plan provides an instrument for the state government to conserve and safeguard the Centre and raise awareness on sustainability, natural resources, cultural heritage preservation, and local economic development. The plan will be a roadmap Mato Grosso to guide decision-making for a more sustainable and resilient city.  

The Participatory Municipal Development Master Plan was developed under PAGE in 2019 and to advance its implementation, PAGE held stakeholder meetings with 200 participants for the municipality of Salto do Céu and surroundings.The consultations engaged a range of participants to better understand the municipal realities — from the perspectives of the Municipal Manager and the community — and subsequently plan informed socio-economic-environmental interventions. 

The Participative Master Plan was then adopted in March and approved by the Salto do Céu Municipality in December 2020, becoming the Municipal Master Plan Law. The priorities of the Law will also be incorporated into the Pluriannual Plan, the Budgetary Guidelines and the Annual Budget. Salto do Céu is the first city in Mato Grosso to receive an international sustainable development programme.

PAGE has been supporting the development of a tool to assess opportunities for generating employment and income in specific economic sectors, to inform policy development. Using projections, PAGE completed and presented findings showcasing sectors where the most significant opportunities for green job creation exist. 

PAGE is supporting the State Secretariat of Cities in developing standards for smart and sustainable construction and the renovation of buildings at the subnational level. In October 2020, an initial analysis on green buildings was completed, providing research on guidelines, as well as challenges for implementing green building guidelines and recommendations for addressing them. 

The ‘Learning and Inclusive Green Economy: Building Tomorrow’s Capabilities in Mato Grosso, Brazil’ assessment was finalized, focusing on green economy learning needs in Mato Grosso as well as the available training institutions, to guide the integration of green economy into curricula, develop new courses, and to inform training, such as in the family farming sector.  The assessment provides an overview of existing education and professional training programmes in four priority sectors as well as bottlenecks in addressing learning needs. The study concludes with seven recommendations for action to upscale learning on green economy at strategic points in the State’s education system, such as developing tailored seminars for graduate students to complement economics and sociology curricula.