Where does Brazil stand with the implementation of the Forest Code

This 2025 report by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio evaluates the implementation of Brazil's Forest Code (Law No. 12,651/2012), focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA). It details federal governance improvements to the National Rural Environmental Registry System (SICAR), the impact of Supreme Court rulings on land management integration, and the uneven progress of CAR validation and PRA adoption across Brazilian states.

• In 2025, federal governance of the National Rural Environmental Registry System (SICAR) was strengthened through a shared model involving the Ministry of Public Management and Innovation (MGI), the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB), and Dataprev. This transformation led to the CAR being recognized at COP30 as the "first digital public good dedicated to climate action."
• The federal government advanced the interoperability of SICAR with the National Rural Land Registry System (SNCR) and the Land Management System (SIGEF). A key innovation presented at COP30 was the "pre-popullated CAR," which uses integrated public data to reduce input errors and facilitate registration corrections.
• The Environmental Reserve Quota (CRA) became fully operational within SICAR in 2025 following a Supreme Court decision. The first CRAs were issued in October 2025 in Private Natural Heritage Reserves (RPPNs) in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
• CAR validation reached unprecedented levels in 2025, with approximately 724,000 registrations validated, representing 9% of the national database, up from 3.3% the previous year. Progress was driven by automation and procedural changes in states like São Paulo and Mato Grosso, which eliminated the requirement for prior landowner approval for certain validations.
• Implementation of the Forest Code remains highly uneven across regions. The Southeastern states (Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo) are among the most advanced, having implemented all phases of CAR and PRA. In contrast, none of the Northern region states made significant progress in 2025, and several states in the Northeast and South continue to show residual levels of validation below 1%.
• The Environmental Compliance Program (PRA) faces significant challenges in moving from CAR validation to actual restoration. While Mato Grosso leads in absolute numbers with 3,229 signed Environmental Compliance Agreements (TCs), overall participation remains limited. There are sharp contrasts in the scale of these agreements, ranging from large-scale efforts in Amazonas (averaging 1,800 hectares per agreement) to very small plots in Acre (averaging 2 hectares per agreement).
• Legal uncertainty continues to hinder implementation, exemplified by a judicial standoff in Paraná regarding whether to apply the Forest Code or the 1990 Atlantic Forest protection framework. This conflict could potentially affect up to 17 states containing Atlantic Forest ecosystems.
• The federal government has begun implementing automatic filters in SICAR to block irregular registrations on federal public lands and Indigenous Lands, a move driven by the Territorial and Environmental Data Integration Plan approved by the Supreme Court under ADPF 743.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (2025). Where does Brazil stand with the implementation of the Forest Code. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/where-does-brazil-stand-with-the-implementation-of-the-forest-code-2025-edition/

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. Where does Brazil stand with the implementation of the Forest Code. 2025. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/where-does-brazil-stand-with-the-implementation-of-the-forest-code-2025-edition/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=Where does Brazil stand with the implementation of the Forest Code |date=15 December 2025 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/where-does-brazil-stand-with-the-implementation-of-the-forest-code-2025-edition/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiative2025where, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{Where does Brazil stand with the implementation of the Forest Code}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/where-does-brazil-stand-with-the-implementation-of-the-forest-code-2025-edition/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }