WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE?

This 2020 report by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio monitors the state-level implementation of Brazil's Native Vegetation Protection Law (Forest Code), specifically focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA). It identifies the analysis and validation of CAR registrations as the primary bottleneck and notes that while some states have made progress, many lack operational PRAs and sufficient normative frameworks for forest restoration.

• The analysis and validation of Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) registrations is the primary obstacle to implementing the Forest Code. While most states have begun this phase, five states remain in the enrolment phase and have not started validation. Progress varies wildly: Espírito Santo has validated 72% of its registrations (approximately 70,000), whereas states like Maranhão, Goiás, Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal District have validated only between 25 and 150.
• Significant increases in CAR analysis rates were observed in Mato Grosso and Pará during 2020. Mato Grosso's monthly analyses rose from 300 in 2019 to 5,500 in 2020. Pará increased from 1,500 annual analyses in 2018 to 3,500 per month in 2020, with expectations to reach 7,000 per month.
• The Environmental Compliance Program (PRA) is not yet operational in most states. Only six states have effectively implemented the PRA with fully operational systems, signed commitment agreements, and monitored compliance plans. While twelve states have enacted norms to institute PRAs, none of the states that lacked regulation in 2019 managed to regulate it in 2020.
• There is a significant gap in legislation regarding illegal deforestation occurring after July 22, 2008. Only eight states have passed legislation on compliance procedures for areas deforested after this date. Acre, Bahia, Pará, and the Federal District require these areas to follow compliance under the PRA, while Rio de Janeiro and Paraná use different procedures.
• Financial incentives were introduced in 2020 to accelerate Forest Code implementation. The National Monetary Council (CMN) included a provision in the 2020/21 Agricultural Plan (Plano Safra) to increase credit limits by 10% for producers with validated CAR registrations.
• The report identifies several risks to the law's implementation, including the lack of regulation for the federal PRA and proposed legislative amendments. Specifically, Legislative Bill 2,429/2020, submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, would increase amnesty for landowners who breached the law, potentially impacting the protection of Legal Forest Reserves.

APA

Chiavari, J., Lopes, C. L., & de Araujo, J. N. (2020). WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE? Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Where-does-Brazil-Stand-With-the-Implementation-of-the-Forest-Code-2020-Edition.pdf

Chicago

Chiavari, Joana, Cristina Leme Lopes, and Julia Nardi de Araujo. WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE? Climate Policy Initiative, 2020. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Where-does-Brazil-Stand-With-the-Implementation-of-the-Forest-Code-2020-Edition.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chiavari |first1=Joana |last2=Lopes |first2=Cristina Leme |last3=de Araujo |first3=Julia Nardi |title=WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE? |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=December 2020 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Where-does-Brazil-Stand-With-the-Implementation-of-the-Forest-Code-2020-Edition.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chiavari2020where, author = {Chiavari, Joana and Lopes, Cristina Leme and de Araujo, Julia Nardi}, title = {{WHERE DOES BRAZIL STAND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREST CODE?}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Where-does-Brazil-Stand-With-the-Implementation-of-the-Forest-Code-2020-Edition.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }