Climate plan of Minas Gerais: strategies, methodology and lessons for subnational public policies

Abstract

The State of Minas Gerais published its Climate Action Plan (Plac) in 2023 and has since been developing strategies to strengthen the plan’s implementation and monitoring. This article aims to present the methodology and structure of the Plac-MG, as well as the challenges of its implementation, establishing Minas Gerais as a reference for the formulation and execution of subnational climate public policies. In the plan’s formulation process, the state sought social participation but faced barriers in ensuring the representation of all intended minority groups. Furthermore, regarding the plan’s execution, a lack of a framework prepared to meet all project needs was identified. As a solution, a project with only a few goals was designed, an intragovernmental committee was established, a reporting and monitoring platform was developed, and international partnerships were pursued. Thus, the lessons learned from the Minas Gerais experience can be absorbed and applied across different territorial levels in the development, implementation, and monitoring of their climate action plans, helping to avoid the replication of mistakes and promoting greater efficiency.