Oil and the Energy Transition

In the seventh video of the original ‘Ponto a Ponto’ series, supported by the Instituto Arapyaú, Clarissa Lins and Natalie Unterstell talk about the role of oil in the energy transition and the choices Brazil will have to make about whether or not to exploit new oil reserves.

The two experts discuss the dilemmas posed by the so-called ‘Equatorial Margin’, an extensive area stretching from Rio Grande do Norte to Amapá that includes the mouth of the Amazon. There are indications that there is a large amount of oil in these deep waters. Could the possible exploitation of these reserves contradict our commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our ambition to decarbonise the planet?

Clarissa Lins: ‘Are we in a position to give up oil revenues for the next 20 years? Maybe not.’

Natalie Unterstell: ‘Betting on the pre-salt has brought us a lot, that’s undeniable. We need to thank them and say, ‘Thank you very much. Now, let’s move on to the next phase.’

Episódio

Oil and the Energy Transition

Experts in this episode: Clarissa Lins, economist and founding partner of Catavento, a consultancy specializing in energy and climate; and Natalie Unterstell, master of public policy at Harvard University and president of the Instituto Talanoa.

Meet the experts:

Clarissa Lins — Economist. She is a founding partner of Catavento, a consultancy specialising in energy and climate, and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Centro Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (CEBRI). Clarissa was the CEO of the Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo e Gás (IBP) and a member of the Plano Real team at the Ministry of Finance.

Natalie Unterstell — holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and is the President of the Instituto Talanoa, a climate policy intelligence centre. She was Director of Sustainable Development at the Presidency of the Republic and was part of the Brazilian negotiating team at the UN Climate Convention.

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