Prof. Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Jr, Rector of Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil and Professor Faculty of Medicine, Neurosurgery

Good afternoon, everyone. It is a pleasure to participate in a meeting of the Vatican Academy of Sciences representing a university from Latin America, showcasing what we are doing to make the Anthropocene sustainable.

The University of São Paulo (USP) is a Brazilian university located in the State of São Paulo, which funds its operations. The State of São Paulo is the most developed state in Brazil and is responsible for one-third of the country’s GDP. In addition to the state capital, the university has campuses in several cities throughout the interior.

USP is the largest university in Brazil, with around 90 thousand students, and is responsible for training a significant portion of the country’s qualified human resources as well as contributing to 20% of Brazil’s scientific production.

Brazil is currently facing challenging times regarding climate change. In southern Brazil, we experienced unprecedented flooding at the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, the rest of the country is enduring an intense dry season, leading to wildfires across all Brazilian states, including the Amazon region, where rivers have reached alarmingly low levels for this time of the year.

To collaborate with society, we are undertaking two main initiatives: making our campuses more sustainable by generating renewable energy and reducing overall energy consumption, managing solid waste, and improving water usage. We aim to set an example for our cities. Additionally, we have created interdisciplinary thematic centers to develop sustainable solutions for both companies and the public sector.

I would like to mention six of these centers: one for sustainable technologies in offshore oil exploration (OTIC), one for sustainable tropical agriculture (STAC), one for carbon research in agriculture (Ccarbon), one research center for greenhouse gas innovation (RCGI), one center for artificial intelligence (C4AI) and one center for Studies on Amazon Sustainability.

The offshore center has five major research areas, some of which connect sustainability with artificial intelligence, analyzing data for ocean engineering, and creating simulations and virtual realities for platform operations.

One project involves developing vertical turbines for operation in deep waters to generate renewable energy for platform operations. Another project focuses on floating nuclear micro-reactors for energy generation in deep waters.

Digital monitoring systems are being developed to track platform activities, identify risks, and prevent accidents while optimizing operations.

STAC focuses on four major areas to improve tropical agriculture.

1. The first area is the domestication of macaúba, a native plant in Central and South America. Studies are underway to understand the plant’s biology and needs, with plans for a huge commercial planting in southern Bahia, Brazil. The fruit of this palm has oil that could potentially be converted into sustainable aviation fuel due to its high energy content.
2. Another project aims to expand irrigable agriculture in Brazil, increasing productivity and reducing the need for new agricultural land by studying water potential, soil types, crops, and the best agricultural models for each situation.
3. Another initiative proposes increasing connectivity in rural areas to enable digital inclusion. Digital inclusion and artificial intelligence will allow enhance agricultural productivity, real-time monitoring of agricultural machinery, and environmental protection.
4. The final initiative involves providing technical support for a “Green Seal Brazil” that assures consumers that these products adhere to sustainable agricultural principles, thus reducing the commercialization of products that result from deforestation or improper practices. If deforestation-related products are not marketed, this practice will likely be phased out.

Ccarbon aims to reduce emissions and increase carbon capture. Its strategy is based on climate change mitigation, food security, a low-carbon economy, and social development.

The first initiative focuses on developing a project to establish a baseline for carbon in Brazil – whether in the soil, plants, or air – by analyzing approximately 250 thousand samples across all Brazilian biomes.

A second project aims to accelerate the recovery of degraded coastal areas using new technologies to promote root growth.

Evaluation kits have been developed to assess the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil in field assessments.

Now, I will present RCGI. The first project involves converting ethanol into green hydrogen. Ethanol derived from sugarcane is widely used in Brazil, and its energy utilization can be enhanced by using hydrogen in more efficient engines. A pilot plant will produce 100 kg of hydrogen per day, which will be utilized in buses and cars on the USP campus to assess the efficiency of this proposal.

Another pilot project studies the production of methanol from CO2 emitted by ethanol plants. Since methanol has a higher energy content than ethanol, it can be used in larger vehicles than those using ethanol.

A prototype for hydrogen production through water catalysis using solar energy is being developed. This is a well-known reaction, but further studies are needed to make it economically viable.

Another possibility is the development of solid oxide fuel cells capable of converting ethanol into hydrogen, which can subsequently be converted into electricity. The vehicle would be fueled by ethanol at conventional stations, with the transformations occurring internally.

Now I will present the artificial intelligence center. At least three of its areas of study are strongly related to sustainability: the study of oceans, climate studies to predict extreme events, and decision-making related to food production and food security.

Finally, I will present the Center for Amazon region, the goal is to promote production and dissemination of science related to education, research, culture for the sustainable development of the Amazon region, taking into account its biodiversity, the complexity of socio-physical-chemical-biological processes, ethnic and population diversity, as well as socioeconomic issues.

Thank you for the opportunity to present our initiatives for making the Anthropocene sustainable.