International benchmarking identifies pathways to accelerate biogas in Brazil

- Study released by the World Biogas Association in partnership with the GEF Biogas Brazil project compares Brazil with 11 reference markets, shows that the country’s actual production still represents only 5% of its national ambitions for the sector, and presents a practical agenda to boost biogas and biomethane.
 
- Led by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and with the International Center for Renewable Energies (CIBiogás) as the main executing institution, the GEF Biogas Brazil project leaves behind a strategic joint publication to help guide the sector’s next steps in the country.

Released by the World Biogas Association (WBA) in partnership with the GEF Biogas Brazil project, the study “Benchmarking of Biogas Policies, Regulations and Technologies: How It Compares to the Brazilian Landscape” maps the current biogas and biomethane market in the country and identifies pathways to strengthen the sector.
 
Implemented from 2019 to 2025, the GEF Biogas Brazil project was led by Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and executed by CIBiogás. WBA was one of the project’s main international partners.
 
Presented during the project’s closing event in December 2025 and made publicly available more recently, the publication compares Brazil with 11 selected reference countries – including four countries with emerging biogas markets – and identifies concrete measures to expand the production and use of biogas and biomethane in the Brazilian context.
 
The document highlights recent progress while drawing attention to the vast untapped potential that remains: despite the huge amount of feedstock available for biogas production, especially in the agro-industrial sector, the country’s actual biogas production still represents only 5% of its national ambitions for the sector. The report shows that barriers such as regulatory fragmentation, limited access to finance, technological gaps and insufficient infrastructure continue to hinder expansion on a larger scale.
 
The benchmarking exercise was organised around two main pillars: one focused on policy and regulation, and the other on technical aspects. The study addresses topics such as national strategies, market mechanisms, feedstocks, digestate, gas quality, operational standards, licensing, planning, biodigesters and biogas applications. Its purpose is to position Brazil within the international landscape and turn this analysis into practical recommendations for public policymakers, investors, companies, financial institutions and other sector stakeholders.
 
One of the publication’s main highlights is the systematisation of nine “easy wins” for the growth of Brazil’s biogas market. Recommendations include the creation of a dedicated action plan for the sector, mandatory waste segregation at source, support for local innovation, workforce training, the development of specific financial instruments, progress on national guidelines for licensing and planning, and the adoption of certified technical and safety standards.
 
The document also helps bring international experience closer to the Brazilian reality. Among the examples highlighted are Sweden’s prioritisation of biomethane as a vehicle fuel and Portugal’s adoption of the Biomethane Action Plan 2024–2040, with phases and targets aimed at structuring and expanding the sector.
 
For Felipe Marques, Chief Executive Officer of CIBiogás and WBA Board Member, the study’s main contribution lies in clearly showing where the bottlenecks are and which pathways can accelerate the sector in Brazil. “By comparing Brazil with 11 reference countries, the study shows that the challenge is not a lack of potential, but rather the conditions needed to turn that potential into new viable and scalable projects,” said Marques.
 
In the view of Gustavo Ramos, Advisor to the Secretariat for Technological Development and Innovation at MCTI, the publication helps organise priorities for the next stage of growth in the Brazilian market. “The study clearly shows where the opportunities lie and which pathways can strengthen biogas in the country. These are important indications to help us stimulate biogas development in regions of Brazil that can draw inspiration from the results already achieved by the GEF Biogas Brazil project, such as the North and Northeast,” explained Ramos.
 
Clovis Zapata, UNIDO Representative in Brazil, highlighted the document’s practical value for the sector’s next steps: “The benchmarking leaves the country with a concrete agenda, including recommendations on planning, licensing, financing, professional training and technical standards that can provide greater certainty for the sector’s expansion,” said Zapata.
 
Project legacy
 
The GEF Biogas Brazil project worked to expand the energy use of organic waste from agro-industry and municipal solid waste, contributing to emissions reduction, income generation, the strengthening of the circular economy and improved waste management planning in the country. In addition to MCTI, UNIDO, GEF and CIBiogás, the Project Steering Committee included Itaipu Binacional and the Ministries of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), Mines and Energy (MME), Environment and Climate Change (MMA), and Cities (MCID).
 
Throughout its implementation, the initiative mobilised around US$ 8 million in direct funding and US$ 263 million in co-financing, supported demonstration units showcasing best practices in Brazil’s Southern Region, developed business models for agro-industry, trained more than 10,000 people, and promoted technical tools and publications such as PiBiogás and DataSebrae Biogás in collaboration with institutional partners. In recognition of these results, the project received the 2025 RBM Award (2025 Results-Based Management Award), granted by UNIDO and took part in the ELLEvate exhibition during the organisation’s General Conference in Riyadh. Also, the project received an honourable mention and was twice a finalist in the AD & Biogas Industry Awards during its implementation.
 
ACCESS THE DOCUMENT
 
Use the buttons below to access the “Benchmarking of Biogas Policies, Regulations and Technologies: How It Compares to the Brazilian Landscape” through MCTI's Digital Repository, in English and Portuguese:

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