Brazil targets trillion‑dollar freight decarbonisation and zero‑fare transport

A study presented by Rubens Filho, executive manager for Environment at the UN Global Compact Brazil, estimates that decarbonising Brazil’s long‑distance freight road sector will require R$ 3.42 trillion in investments by 2050 and the creation of about 42,000 new specialised jobs. The roadmap foresees a mixed‑technology fleet – 63 % electric trucks, 20 % renewable biodiesel, 6 % each of biometane and green hydrogen, and 5 % green diesel – and calls for roughly 42,000 new fuel‑or‑charging stations along major corridors. Financing gaps could demand around R$ 12.9 billion in annual incentives, while the transition could cut transport‑related CO₂ emissions by 72.3 % (about 1.65 Gt CO₂‑eq) and generate up to 888,000 jobs.

A separate UnB study estimates that extending a zero‑fare public‑transport policy to Brazil’s 27 capital cities would inject R$ 45.6 billion into the economy each year, with R$ 2.1 billion flowing to commerce and services. The proposal calls for a nationally coordinated private fund financed by employer contributions of R$ 250 per month per employee once a firm reaches ten workers. Currently 143 municipalities offer free universal transport, but new adoptions have slowed, with most beneficiaries being cities under 50,000 inhabitants.