World Biogas Association and São Paulo State sign historic agreement to advance green energy transition

Announced on World Environment Day, 5 June 2025, in São Paulo, Brazil, the agreement lays the groundwork for adapting and implementing the programme’s two flagship initiatives – the Global Biogas Regulatory Framework and the Anaerobic Digestion Certification Scheme International (ADCS International) – across the state.

These tools will support governments in attracting investment, delivering high-performance biogas infrastructure, and developing effective, locally tailored policies to scale biogas sustainably.

This agreement is a major milestone for biogas development in Brazil. São Paulo has the technical capacity, infrastructure, and political will to lead the country’s transition to a circular, low-carbon economy powered by biogas. We are proud to work alongside the state government to develop and implement a biogas action plan based on international best practice, adapted to local conditions and needs. This is a model that can be scaled nationwide and globally, said Dr Pradeep Monga, Senior Advisor and Policy Director at WBA, who represented the organisation at the signing.

São Paulo is an ideal biogas hub

Backed by the highest biomethane potential in Brazil – estimated at 25 billion Nm³ per year – and a well-developed gas pipeline network, São Paulo is ideally positioned to become a hub for sustainable biomethane aka renewable natural gas (RNG) production.

If fully realised, this capacity could supply nearly half of the state’s natural gas demand, replace up to 25 percent of its diesel use, particularly in heavy transport, and reduce emissions by up to 24.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq), representing 16 percent of its 2050 target.

The biomethane value chain also has the potential to generate up to 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Scope of the agreement

The agreement outlines four priority areas for collaboration between WBA and the Brazilian State Secretariat for Environment, Infrastructure, and Logistics (SEMIL):

• Developing and implementing biogas policies and standards using the Global Biogas Regulatory Framework;
• Improving safety, environmental performance, and operational excellence through ADCS International certification;
• Strengthening investment readiness for Public–Private Partnerships and concessional projects; and
• Promoting knowledge exchange and capacity-building across Brazil’s emerging biogas market.

This partnership forms a key component of São Paulo’s State Energy Plan 2050 (PEE 2050), which seeks to achieve a near-zero carbon energy matrix and increase the share of renewables in the economy.

This collaboration reflects the growing global recognition of biogas as a cornerstone of climate resilience, clean energy, waste management, and development strategies. As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, hosted under the Presidency of Brazil, this agreement shows what real ambition and progress look like – a pragmatic, locally driven, and globally aligned vision and concrete action on the ground, added Dr Pradeep Monga.

Natália Resende, Secretary for Environment, Infrastructure, and Logistics for the Brazilian State of São Paulo, welcomed the partnership as a vital step in delivering the state’s clean energy vision.

With this agreement with WBA, we aim to attract international investors, expand training opportunities, and promote the exchange of best practices and regulatory improvements for the sector, said Natália Resende.

She added that the partnership would also support the circular economy – a model that reuses resources within a closed production cycle, helping reduce waste and environmental impact.

We expect to join efforts and increase efficiency in shaping public policies that scale up biogas production in the state, thereby creating an enabling environment for new business opportunities and the generation of jobs and income, Natália Resende said.

Marisa Maia de Barros, Under Secretary for Energy and Mining at SEMIL, echoed this view.

The signing of the MoU with the World Biogas Association, a global reference in the sector, marks a strategic milestone for the energy transition and the strengthening of the biomethane market in our state. This agreement reinforces the state’s commitment to decarbonising and the circular economy. We expect to join efforts and increase efficiency in shaping public policies that scale up biogas production in the state, thereby creating an enabling environment for new business opportunities and the generation of jobs and income, said Marisa Maia de Barros.

WBA will continue working with Brazilian stakeholders – including federal ministries, regional consortia and industry partners – to expand the #MakingBiogasHappen programme in the lead-up to COP30 and beyond.