Brazil's Environment Minister Carlos Minc confirmed on Tuesday that the country will present to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-15) a proposal to reduce its carbon emissions by about 40 percent.

During a meeting on climate change, the minister said that Brazil's proposal is very advanced. According to him, about 20 percent of the carbon emission reductions will result from the decrease of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest region.

Another 20 percent will result from actions to protect the Brazilian savannah, as well as from measures to increase energy efficiency and promote the use of green steel and biofuels.

Minc expressed his satisfaction with the fact that several sectors of the Brazilian economy have realized they have much to gain with the proposal, such as agriculture, which will benefit from a rise in productivity.

He also reaffirmed that Brazil will register in 2009 the lowest deforestation rate in two decades. The deforestation rate in the past 12 months, which will be announced on Thursday by the government, will also be the lowest in 20 years, the minister said.

According to Minc, the deforestation figures can improve even more. He expects deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest region to fall from 19.5 percent in 2009 to 9.5 percent in 2010. In 2012, deforestation is expected to be at 3.5 percent.

The COP-15 will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark in December. Brazil will send a delegation headed by Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff, who is President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's right-hand woman and his handpicked candidate for succession.