Forest Restoration in Brazil: Essential Factors for Promoting Restoration at Scale

The report analyzes Brazil's complex legislative framework for forest restoration, concluding that current policies are designed for property-scale rather than landscape-scale implementation. It identifies three essential factors for scaling up: permitting a variety of restoration typologies within a single project, breaking barriers between public and private land tenure, and integrating both mandatory and voluntary restoration areas. The authors argue that the ongoing revision of the National Plan for Native Vegetation Recovery (PLANAVEG) is a critical opportunity to implement these changes and leverage the carbon market to achieve climate and socioeconomic goals.

• Current Brazilian restoration policies are primarily designed for property-scale implementation rather than landscape-scale, creating obstacles for projects that span multiple jurisdictions or stakeholders.
• To enhance economic and socio-environmental viability, regulatory frameworks must allow for the complementary use of multiple restoration typologies—such as natural regeneration, native silviculture, and agroforestry systems—within a single project.
• Large-scale restoration is hindered by land tenure complexity, particularly in the Amazon where public lands comprise approximately 63% of the region and are often marked by property rights uncertainty and conflicts.
• There is a significant regulatory contradiction between the Forest Code, which exempts planting native species from prior authorization, and CONAMA Resolution no. 237/1997, which subjects silviculture to environmental licensing.
• Restoration in Brazil can be mandatory in three scenarios: to remedy environmental damage, due to non-compliance with conservation obligations (which are 'propter rem' and tie to the land regardless of ownership), or as a compensatory measure for legal deforestation.
• The carbon market for nature-based solutions is estimated to reach U$ 50 billion by 2030, and in the Amazon, carbon prices above U$ 20 per ton of CO2 could potentially capture 16 Gt CO2 and generate U$ 320 billion in revenue over 30 years.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (2024). Forest Restoration in Brazil: Essential Factors for Promoting Restoration at Scale. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/forest-restoration-in-brazil-essential-factors-for-promoting-restoration-at-scale/

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. Forest Restoration in Brazil: Essential Factors for Promoting Restoration at Scale. 2024. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/forest-restoration-in-brazil-essential-factors-for-promoting-restoration-at-scale/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=Forest Restoration in Brazil: Essential Factors for Promoting Restoration at Scale |date=12 March 2024 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/forest-restoration-in-brazil-essential-factors-for-promoting-restoration-at-scale/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiative2024forest, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{Forest Restoration in Brazil: Essential Factors for Promoting Restoration at Scale}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/forest-restoration-in-brazil-essential-factors-for-promoting-restoration-at-scale/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }