Over the past decade Brazil has managed to achieve economic stability, and more recently its economy proved very resilient in response to the global economic crisis. The key challenge for the country is now to continue to grow at a fast pace to close its income gap with the OECD countries, while choosing a development pattern that is consistent with long-term sustainability concerns both socially – in terms of ensuring all Brazilians benefits from gains in living standards – and in terms of protecting the environment.