Overview
SEEG (Sistema de Estimativa de Emissões e Remoções de Gases de Efeito
Estufa - System of Estimates of Emissions and Removals of Greenhouse
Gases) is Brazil’s most comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions database
developed by Observatório do Clima
(Climate Observatory).
This dataset provides:
- Greenhouse gas emissions: Complete estimates of all
major climate-relevant gases
- Multi-sector coverage: Agriculture, energy, land
use, industry, waste
- Sub-sectoral detail: Detailed breakdowns within
each sector
- Municipality and state levels: Geographic
disaggregation for regional analysis
- Time series: Historical data from 2000 onwards
- Removal accounting: Also includes carbon
sequestration and removals
- Comprehensive methodology: Based on Brazilian
national inventory standards
- Transparent assumptions: Well-documented
methodology and data sources
SEEG is the primary tool for understanding Brazil’s greenhouse gas
emissions profile, tracking progress toward climate goals, identifying
emission hotspots, and supporting climate policy.
Data Source and Methodology
SEEG emissions estimates are compiled using: - Government data from
multiple agencies (MAPA, IBGE, ANP, etc.) - Satellite monitoring of
deforestation and land use - International IPCC methodology standards -
Peer-reviewed scientific research - Regular updates as new government
data becomes available
For more information, visit SEEG
Project and Observatório do
Clima.
Available Datasets
1. seeg (All Sectors Combined)
Complete greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors in one
dataset.
- Coverage: All emission sources in Brazil
- Sectors included: All five (agriculture, energy,
land use, industry, waste)
- Time period: 2000-2018
- Geographic levels: Country, State,
Municipality
- Key variables: Total emissions (CO₂e), by sector
and sub-sector
- Format: Comprehensive view of Brazil’s total
emissions profile
- Note: Only available with
raw_data = TRUE
- Use cases:
- Understand overall emissions landscape
- Identify dominant emission sources
- Track total emissions trends over time
2. seeg_farming (Agricultural and Livestock
Emissions)
Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and livestock
activities.
- Coverage: All agricultural and livestock
production
- Time period: 2000-2018
- Geographic levels: Country, State,
Municipality
- Key variables: Emissions from cattle, crop
production, soil management, manure
- Dominant source: Usually the largest single
emissions sector in Brazil
- Components:
- Livestock (enteric fermentation, manure)
- Crop production and soil management
- Agricultural land preparation
- Use cases:
- Assess agricultural emission contributions
- Identify highest-emission municipalities
- Evaluate livestock and farming intensity
- Policy targets for agricultural emissions reduction
3. seeg_energy (Energy Sector Emissions)
Emissions from energy production and consumption.
- Coverage: All energy-related emissions
- Time period: 2000-2018
- Geographic levels: Country, State,
Municipality
- Key variables: Emissions from electricity,
transport, heating, fuel production
- Components:
- Energy generation and distribution
- Transportation fuels
- Energy consumption
- Industrial energy use
- Use cases:
- Understand energy sector contribution to climate change
- Track renewable vs. fossil fuel impacts
- Identify regional energy emission patterns
4. seeg_land (Land Use Change Emissions)
Emissions and removals from changes in forest cover and land use.
- Coverage: Deforestation, forest degradation,
reforestation effects
- Time period: 2000-2018
- Geographic levels: Country, State,
Municipality
- Key variables: Net emissions/removals from land use
change
- Components:
- Deforestation and forest loss
- Forest degradation
- Reforestation and afforestation
- Vegetation conversion
- Importance: Often largest single contributor to
Brazil’s emissions
- Use cases:
- Analyze deforestation climate impact
- Identify reforestation opportunities
- Assess forest conservation value
- Link with PRODES and DETER deforestation data
5. seeg_industry (Industrial Process
Emissions)
Emissions from manufacturing and industrial processes.
- Coverage: All industrial sectors
- Time period: 2000-2018
- Geographic levels: Country, State,
Municipality
- Key variables: Emissions from cement, chemicals,
metals, minerals, other manufacturing
- Components:
- Chemical production (ammonia, soda ash, etc.)
- Metal production (iron, aluminum, others)
- Mineral processing (cement, lime, glass)
- Other industrial processes
- Use cases:
- Identify industrial emission hotspots
- Regional manufacturing impacts
- Process-specific emission reduction opportunities
6. seeg_residuals (Waste and Residuals
Emissions)
Emissions from waste management, landfills, and waste treatment.
- Coverage: All waste-related emissions
- Time period: 2000-2018
- Geographic levels: Country, State,
Municipality
- Key variables: Emissions from solid waste,
wastewater treatment, waste treatment
- Components:
- Landfill methane emissions
- Wastewater treatment
- Waste disposal and treatment
- Municipal solid waste management
- Use cases:
- Assess waste sector contributions
- Identify waste management improvement opportunities
- Evaluate circular economy potential
Important Data Characteristics
Collection 9 Data
The data provided is from SEEG’s Collection 9: - Time
period: 2000-2018 - Methodology: Latest
available when data was compiled - Quality:
Peer-reviewed and validated - Revisions: May be updated
in future SEEG collections as better data becomes available
Emissions Units
- Standard unit: Gigatonnes CO₂ equivalent (Gt
CO₂e)
- CO₂e equivalence: Uses global warming potentials
(GWP) to convert CH₄ and N₂O to CO₂ equivalent
- Consistency: Allows comparison across different
gases and sectors
Download Considerations
Important: The complete SEEG dataset is quite large.
When downloading: - Entire datasets are downloaded as single files; year
selection is limited - A stable, high-speed internet connection is
recommended - Downloads may take time depending on connection speed -
Ensure sufficient disk space for storage
Function Parameters
1. dataset
Selects which emission sector(s) to download.
dataset = "seeg" # All sectors (raw_data = TRUE only)
dataset = "seeg_farming" # Agriculture and livestock
dataset = "seeg_energy" # Energy sector
dataset = "seeg_land" # Land use changes
dataset = "seeg_industry" # Industrial processes
dataset = "seeg_residuals" # Waste and residuals
2. raw_data
Controls whether to download original or processed data.
TRUE: Returns raw SEEG data format (more detailed)
FALSE: Returns treated data with English variable names
and standardized format
raw_data = FALSE # logical
3. geo_level
Specifies geographic aggregation level.
"country": National total
"state": State-level emissions (27 units)
"municipality": All 5,570+ municipalities
geo_level = "state" # character string
4. language
Output language for variable names and labels.
"pt": Portuguese
"eng": English
language = "eng" # character string
Note on timing: Downloads may take considerable time
due to file size.
Data Notes
Emission Sources Included
SEEG includes all major anthropogenic emission sources: - Agriculture
(livestock, crops, soil) - Energy (electricity, transport, heating) -
Land use change (deforestation, afforestation) - Industrial processes
(cement, chemicals, metals) - Waste (landfills, wastewater)
Methodology
Estimates follow: - IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas
inventories - Brazilian national inventory standards - International
best practices - Transparent, documented assumptions
Data Quality
- Peer-reviewed methodology
- Validated against government data
- Uncertainty ranges available in detailed products
- Regular methodology updates
Limitations
- Fixed time period: Collection 9 covers 2000-2018
only
- File size: Large downloads; requires good
internet
- Year aggregation: Cannot select individual years;
entire dataset downloaded
- Revisions: Methodology may change in future SEEG
releases
- Sub-national uncertainty: Municipal and state
estimates have higher uncertainty than national