The National Coordination for implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been attributed to the Ministry of Science and Technology by a Presidential Decree (Decree no. 160 of June 21, 1994), which established the
Interministerial Committee for Sustainable Development - CIDES.

The Decree that created CIDES was revoked by another Decree of February 26, 1997, establishing the Sustainable Development and National Agenda XXI Policies Commission.

The Presidential Decree of 7 July 1999 created the Interministerial Commission on Global Climate Change with the purpose of articulating governmental actions relative to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its subsidiary instruments to which Brazil is a Party.

This decree establishes that the Minister of Science and Technology shall hold the presidency of the Commission and the Minister of Environment the Vice-Presidency. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall also exercise the function of Executive Secretariat.