BRAZIL’S NEW FOREST CODE PART II: PATHS AND CHALLENGES TO COMPLIANCE

The document details the steps Brazilian rural landowners must take to comply with the 2012 Forest Code, focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA). It distinguishes between large properties (over four fiscal modules) and small properties, highlighting a 'special regime' for land deforested before July 22, 2008. Key obstacles identified include a lack of state-level legislation, the high cost of technical expertise for landholders, and legal uncertainties regarding the constitutionality of the code and the regulation of Environmental Reserve Quotas (CRA).

• The first mandatory step for all rural landholders to achieve compliance is registering their property in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) by May 5, 2016, which requires a georeferenced map of environmental features.
• A 'special regime' provides more lenient restoration requirements for 'Consolidated Rural Areas'—lands where native vegetation was illegally cleared for agriculture or livestock before July 22, 2008.
• Small properties (up to four fiscal modules) benefit from significant exemptions, including the possibility of having a Legal Forest Reserve requirement of zero, as it is based on native vegetation existing prior to July 2008 rather than total property size.
• The Environmental Reserve Quota (CRA) allows landowners with surplus native vegetation to trade credits with those who have deficits, but its implementation is hindered by a lack of federal regulation and contradictory state-level rules.
• Implementation is delayed because most Brazilian states have not yet enacted the necessary legislation for the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA), preventing landholders from accessing the special regime's benefits.
• Practical barriers to compliance include the high cost of hiring technical experts for CAR registration and a general lack of knowledge regarding forest management and soil conservation practices.

APA

Chiavari, J., & Lopes, C. L. (n.d.). BRAZIL’S NEW FOREST CODE PART II: PATHS AND CHALLENGES TO COMPLIANCE. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Brief-Part-II-Paths-and-Challenges-to-Compliance.pdf

Chicago

Chiavari, Joana, and Cristina Leme Lopes. BRAZIL’S NEW FOREST CODE PART II: PATHS AND CHALLENGES TO COMPLIANCE. Climate Policy Initiative, n.d. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Brief-Part-II-Paths-and-Challenges-to-Compliance.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chiavari |first1=Joana |last2=Lopes |first2=Cristina Leme |title=BRAZIL’S NEW FOREST CODE PART II: PATHS AND CHALLENGES TO COMPLIANCE |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Brief-Part-II-Paths-and-Challenges-to-Compliance.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chiavarindbrazils, author = {Chiavari, Joana and Lopes, Cristina Leme}, title = {{BRAZIL’S NEW FOREST CODE PART II: PATHS AND CHALLENGES TO COMPLIANCE}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Brief-Part-II-Paths-and-Challenges-to-Compliance.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }